Every Rose Has Its Thorns
by LizzeXX
Summary: Gold/OC - With the Dark Curse broken, both memories and magic have returned. As Gold and his true love, the Pied Piper, plot against Regina, things take another turn. How will everyone handle another separation? What will happen when a past evil returns to Storybrooke? One thing is certain, Piper is not the scared little girl the Evil Queen remembers. Second in the Bedtime Stories.
1. Broken

A/N: Hi! So welcome to the second story, Every Rose Has Its Thorns, of my Once Upon a Time Series Bedtime Stories :) I would recommend new readers read the first story, All That Glitters, to understand my OC, Piper (AKA Rose Red) and her relationship to Gold/Rumpelstiltskin as well as her tie to Snow White. This will be a Gold/OC story, the pairing name officially voted for as Dark Rose, and will be about 43 chapters long, updated daily too ;) This story will follow the episodes more in terms of what's happening with the OC, but will also have an Enchanted Forest flashback/backstory chapter afterwards :)

A quick physical description of Piper is that she's a tall, blonde woman, with forest green eyes. She tends to wear boots that she keeps her playing pipe in one, and the dagger of the Dark One in the other. She tends to wear colors, though Gold (or as she calls him, Rummy) prefers her in black ;) She also has a necklace of a small purple powder from the Enchanted Forest. She appears to be about 40 years old, though she is much older. For a reference, an actress I see as being similar to her is Sophia Myles ;)

~8~ is a scene break.

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time...or Emma would have been adopted by a loving family and raised on fairytales lol :)

~8~

Broken

Mr. Gold, or in another world Rumpelstiltskin, let out a breath, opening his eyes as he felt the purple cloud that had returned his magic pass by them. He looked over at the blonde woman standing beside him, a small smirk on her face, "Do you feel it Pip?" he asked.

She nodded, blinking her forest green eyes open to look at him, "Magic," she squeezed his hand that she was holding near her chest and smiled at him, "And it's stronger than ever."

"And now that it's back," he lifted her hand to press a kiss to the back of it, "I believe a certain Queen has much to answer for."

"You know, I do believe you are right," she mused, tilting her head to the side, "She must be dealt with," she agreed, "We both have a price owed to us by her, I would like to see it paid even before finding our families."

He nodded, "Regina shall remain a threat to them, even more now that magic has returned. When she has been stopped, we shall see our families again."

Piper nodded, stepping back away from him though she kept a hold of his hand, her smirk beckoning as she moved, "Then we have work to do."

Gold chuckled darkly as he stepped after her, only letting go of her hand so that he could take her other hand in his own, making it easier to walk with his limp and cane, "What do you have in mind Pip?"

"Oh no," she shook her head, "I have 28 years tending to a small boy, my mind broken between him and finding you and plotting revenge," she glanced at him, "You have 28 years of stewing and working out the worst possible means to an end for the dear Evil Queen. What have YOU in mind Rummy?"

"Why Pip," he grinned, turning to look forward, revenge in his eyes, "I'm ever so glad you asked."

~8~

In the middle of Storybrooke, a heartwarming reunion had just taken place between a mother and father and the daughter they had sent away to save her 28 years ago. Emma Swan was overwhelmed as she walked with her…um, parents? She still wasn't quite used to that, to thinking she had parents. She knew she HAD parents, she wouldn't have been born from nothing, but that she had them back? That was a strange notion. Mary Margaret…no, Snow White now, had cried, had hugged her tightly. David, Prince Charming, had hugged his wife and daughter, had kissed her hair, had laughed when Henry called him 'grandpa.' And Emma…just stood there, not sure what to do, not used to being hugged or loved, not quite coming to terms with the fact that everything she'd been humoring Henry in was actually real. The people before her, Mary Margaret, David, Granny, Ruby, Leroy and his friends…were all fairytale characters.

It was REAL.

But all too soon the reunion was cut off by a very good question posed by the Dwarves, what was the purple smoke? And so now they were heading to Gold's shop for answers. Though, it appeared, more questions were being fired away along the way than there were answers Gold could give.

"Is there anything that you want to ask us?" Mary Margaret asked Emma as she hurried to keep up with her daughter's strides, Henry beside his mother, "You must have questions."

"The only questions I have are for Mr. Gold," Emma muttered, "Why did he double-cross me, and what did he do to this town? Why did Piper LET him do it? _That's_ what I don't get, all this time she's been on our side and I want answers."

Mary Margaret frowned, "Piper? The Pied Piper?" she had…vague memories of the blonde woman. It was odd really, the flood of memories from her first life had hit her so hard she could barely remember this current life. She knew it would all settle and she'd have two clear sets of memories to sort through, but right now her more prevalent memories were that of the Enchanted Forest.

"Yeah," Emma muttered, "Apparently you know her."

"I've heard stories of the things she's done," Mary Margaret agreed, frowning, "She's quite a terror among the children in the Forest and…"

"No, I mean, she knows you," Emma glanced at her, "She's your…"

"Emma," Henry cut in, "I think Piper should tell her herself," he grinned, he knew he should let Emma tell Mary Margaret, but he had talked to Piper for a long time, and once he realized she was Rose Red (something that wasn't difficult to work out when he had a book and a story of her revealing her name to Rumpelstiltskin) he read those stories of Snow White even more deeply. He wanted to see the reaction, he wanted to see the look on Snow's face when she saw her cousin.

He could understand, or at least guess, why Mary Margaret hadn't realized Piper was her cousin…the last time Snow White saw the girl, Piper had been 18 years old. Now, even though she was more than 3 decades older than that, she looked to be about 40. He doubted anyone would recognize someone at the age of 40 when they last saw them as an 18 year old. But he loved family reunions and he really wanted to see what Snow would do when she saw Rose again.

"Well then, we'll seek out the Pied Piper after we've seen Gold," Mary Margaret agreed, "But, shouldn't we talk about 'it' first?"

"What?" Emma frowned, not sure what the 'it' was.

"Us, your life, everything?"

"Can we do everything maybe later?" she sighed, "Like, with a glass of wine. Or…several…bottles."

"I know it's a lot to take in," David tried to help, "For all of us."

"And we don't want to push," Mary Margaret agreed, "But we've waited for this moment for so long…"

"Yeah, so have I," Emma admitted, "I've thought about this moment my entire life. I've imagined who you might be. But, of all the scenarios that I concocted, my parents being…I-I just need a little time. That's…that's all."

Before another word could be spoken the sound of shouting reached them and they spun around to see a rather angry mob running down the streets behind them.

"There you are!" Jiminy ran up to them, panting, "Come with me. I need your help. Dr. Whale's whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're going to Regina's house. They're going to kill her!"

"Great, let's watch," Grumpy grinned, not seeing Henry tense.

"No! No, we cannot stoop to her level. No matter who she is or what she's done, killing her is wrong."

"He's right," Henry turned to them, tears in his eyes, even though he knew all Regina had done, he never wanted her dead, he just wanted the curse broken, "Please. She's still my mom!"

Emma sighed but nodded, reluctantly though, if Henry, the one who had fallen under Regina's curse didn't want retribution, then it wasn't on them to demand it either, "We have to stop them."

"If the Blue Fairy is right and magic is here," David began, thinking of what Blue, the Mother Superior, had said about the purple smoke being the return of magic, "Regina could have her powers back. They'll be marching into a slaughter."

Without another word, the group turned and ran after the mob…none of them seeing the blonde woman in the window of Gold's shop watching them go.

Piper sighed and turned away from the window, moving over to the counter Gold was standing at, "They have gone after Regina, as we thought," she informed him.

"Excellent," he nodded, pulling on a pair of thick gloves and lifting the lid of a small chest that was on the counter before him up. Piper moved beside him to watch as he carefully picked up a medallion with an odd symbol in the middle. It was like a Y with the tops bent to the side. There was a line extending from the middle line up to the top of the Y, with two horizontal lines through the base of it, "Recognize this Pip?"

"A Wraith," she murmured, nodding slowly, "Exquisite choice Rummy."

"I thought you'd like it," he nodded, clutching the medallion in one hand, "As the Queen hunted with a single minded desire, so does the wraith. Ironic, is it not, when a wraith is the embodiment of vengeance?"

"It is," she agreed, "And the perfect choice for the Evil Queen."

Gold grinned and held out his arm to Piper, allowing her to take it as they walked out of the shop and towards the police station, when the entire town turned against you, being locked away with bars separating you from those you wronged would be the safest place. That was where they knew Emma and the others would take Regina, and that was where they had to be before the others arrived.

~8~

Piper and Gold remained in the back room of the station as they heard Emma, David, Mary Margaret, and Henry enter with Regina. They were locking the woman into a cell, just as they expected, talked to her quietly about the curse and how it was broken, how they should have been back home by now and why weren't they? Apparently the Enchanted Forest had been destroyed by the Dark Curse when it hit, which made them all think to go back and try Gold again, which meant that the two eavesdropping would have to be quick.

Gold waited till the small group had left before he stepped into the main room to see Regina trying to magically unlock her door but failing, clearly while HE had his magic back and Piper had hers, while everyone else did…she did not. Which was JUST what he wanted. It had been HER desire to come to this land, to be what she was, why allow that to change merely because a curse was broken? He did so love creating curses where he came out on top in the end.

"Magic is different here, dearie," he remarked, moving to lean on the edge of Emma's desk, his hands, still gloved, clutching the medallion between them as he smirked at her, keeping the item from view.

"I noticed," Regina sneered, "I assume this is all your doing."

"Most things are."

"Get to it, Rumple," she rolled her eyes, "What do you want? You're here to finish the job?"

"No, no, no," he gently pushed himself off the desk and moved towards the cell, "You're safe from me."

"I feel so relieved," she countered dryly.

"I made a promise to someone that I won't kill you immediately."

Regina frowned at that, "Let me guess, your precious Pip?"

"It is rather irritating when YOU call me that," Piper's voice spoke as she entered the room and came to stand beside Gold, "But yes, if you must know, it was a promise to me."

"And why would YOU care whether I live or die dear?"

Piper smirked, "Oh I never wanted you dead Regina, not really," her smirk turned dangerous, "I want you to suffer first, I want you to suffer as I and many others have under your hand. Actions have consequences, Regina. You took something from me, and I shall not rest till I take the same from you," she said simply, "Until then, I shall have to make do with watching your world crumble around you."

"So torture first?" Regina crossed her arms, unimpressed, but Piper could see a hint of fear in her eyes.

"You really do forget just how dangerous a Siren can be."

"Nice try, banshee," Regina scoffed, "I may not have recognized you at first, but I DO remember you. You're only HALF Siren."

"And is that not so much worse?" Piper leaned in, "Being half Siren means I am also half human…I believe YOU, of all people, know just what a human being is capable of when pushed."

Regina's lips pursed, "Then get on with it."

Piper smiled at that, "I thought you would never ask."

And, before Regina could react, she reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling it through the bars just as Gold took the medallion and pressed it into the palm of Regina's hand, making her hiss in pain.

"Is that…" Regina gasped, her eyes widening.

"Yes, dearie," Gold hissed, his eyes narrowed, "The one thing no one can escape, destiny. And, I promise, yours is particularly unpleasant."

He pulled the medallion away and turned with Piper to walk out of the room, Regina looking at her hand, knowing that while it appeared unmarked, the moment the wraith was summoned…it would be activated and the creature would not stop till Regina was destroyed from the inside out.

~8~

Piper and Gold sat in the back of his shop, smiling, and clinging their teacups together for the successful summoning of the wraith. They'd gone out into the woods on the way back to the shop, Gold dropping the medallion onto the ground as Piper handed him his dagger to use as a focusing method for his magic. He summoned the Wraith, stabbed the ground with the dagger to call it from the other worlds. The two of them watched as it rose from the medallion and flew off towards town. It would pose no harm to others so long as they didn't get in its way and they both knew the only ones who would try were already heading to the shop, having been delayed by various townspeople still frantic at the return of their memories and having put Henry somewhere safe to wait it out, Emma not trusting him to be around either of them at the moment.

They looked over when they heard the bell ding and knew it was Emma, Mary Margaret, and David entering.

Gold glanced at Piper to see her staring at the door to the main shop but the girl didn't move. He reached out and patted her leg, his thumb stroking her knee in comfort before he stood, "Come when you're ready Pip," he leaned in and kissed her hair before he stepped out. He knew exactly what she was feeling, he felt it too at times. Thinking so long about finally being reunited with someone, and then the moment comes and you hardly know what to say or do. Luckily for them, their reunion was rather a quiet affair to begin with.

"What can I do for you?" Gold smirked as he saw the three heroes before him.

"What you can do, is tell us what you did," Emma glared at him.

"I'm sorry. You're going to have to be more specific. Pip and I have done many, MANY things."

"You know damn well what we're talking about!" David snapped.

"You double-crossed Emma," Mary Margaret stated, "You, uh, took your…potion, from her."

"Well, considering that the potion she retrieved was of my own true love," he paused to think, "It belonged in my possession anyway."

"That doesn't change the fact that you did who knows what to this town!" David countered.

"And, worst of all, you risked Henry's life," Emma finished.

"The boy was never in any true danger," Gold waved it off.

"He flatlined!" Mary Margaret shouted, "He died!"

"And Pip and I returned magic to the town so that we could save him from that," Gold informed them, "Piper would never see the boy harmed. The Sleeping Curse, cast in a land without magic, was weaker and warped. When Henry died, the magic faded, to use magic to resuscitate him would be the only means of awakening him. So," he looked at them with a smirk, "Would you care to try again at how we double crossed you? Or would you like to go over the litany of grievances again?"

"I'd like to punch you in the face!" Emma snapped.

"I'd prefer to run you through with my sword," David glared.

"Oh I doubt your doting wife would allow you to do that," Gold chuckled.

"Why wouldn't I?" Mary Margaret tried to make it seem like a threat, though she knew in her heart she wouldn't let anyone just run someone through.

"Because you would NEVER allow someone to kill MY true love," Piper's voice said from the doorway as it opened and she appeared, her gaze focused on Mary Margaret, "Would you, Frosty?"

Mary Margaret gasped as she looked at the woman before her, recognizing her now, there was no doubt in her mind who she could be, "R…Rosie?" she slowly made her way towards Piper, staring at her with wide eyes that were rapidly filling with tears.

"I told you not to call me that," Piper smiled softly at her.

"And I said not to call me Frosty," Mary Margaret nearly laughed a sobbing laugh. She stopped right before Piper, her eyes searching her, scanning her face, "You're older…"

"I am," Piper nodded, "Not quite your younger cousin any longer am I?"

Mary Margaret just reached out to touch her cheek, "You're alive…" she breathed, feeling her warm and solid beneath her hand, "You're alive!" before she pulled Piper into her arms, crying as she held her tightly.

Emma and David watched with Gold as a tear or two escaped from Piper's eyes as well, "I am," Piper smiled, clutching her cousin closer still, "I am."

"Well then," Gold smiled, "Henry survived, the curse is broken, and let's see, Miss Swan. How long have you been searching for your parents? Looks like you're reunited. Seems like I deserve a thank you."

That seemed to snap Mary Margaret out of it as she pulled back and looked at Piper with wide eyes, "HE'S your true love?"

Piper blinked, "Of all the things you could possible ask me…you focus on THAT?"

And there were SO many things that she knew her cousin would wish to know. Why she hadn't told her she was alive. Why she went to the Dark One and not family. How she had escaped the curse. If any of the rumors she'd heard of the Pied Piper were true. What happened to her after her kingdom fell. What happened to her.

"Sorry, it's just…" Mary Margaret shook her head, "He's the Dark One!"

"And I am the Pied Piper," she reminded her, "My past has never been as pure as yours Snow, you know this."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth, likely to ask her some of the questions Piper knew she'd wish to know, when Emma spoke, "Look, we really need to focus on what's going on here," she looked at Mary Margaret, "Sorry, I know family reunions are abounding today, but that purple smoke," she turned to Gold, "What was it?"

"Did the fairy not tell you?" Piper gave her a look, "Magic."

"Why?" Mary Margaret looked between them, still trying to wrap her mind around her baby cousin now being older than her and being the true love of the Dark One.

"Not telling," Gold smirked, reaching out to wind an arm around Piper's waist, gently tugging her to his side…

Only for an enormous explosion to shake the entire building.

"What the hell was that?!" Emma gasped and the trio ran to the windows to look out, seeing that all the transformers in the town were blowing up outside.

"That," Gold smirked, "Is my gift to Pip," he would have laughed at how the three of them looked back at Piper with varying expressions, but he held it in, "That…is going to take care of Regina."

"Rose?" Mary Margaret breathed as she stared at her cousin, "You KNEW about this…whatever this is?"

"I was there when it was summoned," Piper nodded.

"Why?" Mary Margaret shook her head, seeming horrified, "How…"

"We don't have time," David cut in, "We need to go take care of this."

"We're not done," Emma warned Gold.

"Oh, I know," Gold nodded, "You still owe me a favor."

Piper sighed as the three ran from the room, "I am going to have to go after her," she murmured.

"You don't have to," Gold mused.

"But I do," she shook her head, "Snow will not make it easy for the wraith and if she gets in its way…" she looked at him, "I will not see it harm my family on its quest for Regina," she looked at the door thoughtfully, "It appears in the decades of the curse, Snow is not the only one who does not know their cousin. I had…forgotten, for a moment, how noble she can be."

"Seems I have rubbed off on you then," Gold smirked, pleased at that.

"I am glad you did," she turned to him, pleasing him even more, "Were it not for you, I would not be as strong as I am now," she eyed him softly, "I can handle my family, the wraith shall not touch them."

"And if Regina happens to banish it?" Gold asked.

"Then we find another way to punish her," she said simply and Gold couldn't help but think, for a moment, what Snow White must be thinking of her dear not-so-sweet cousin now.

"Be careful Pip," Gold held out his dagger to her.

She smiled, slipping it into her boot, "I always am," she winked at him before she slowly made her way out of the shop and after her family.

~8~

Piper stepped into the sheriff's station, sauntering in really, as though there weren't a large, flying shadow standing before Regina in her jail cell, the bars torn off, its grip on her throat as it proceeded to suck the soul out of her. She shook her head when she saw David grab a chair and try to smash the wraith with it, Emma and Mary Margaret halfway in the room, as though it would do any damage.

"Physical violence shall not defeat it," she called, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, speaking far too easily despite the situation.

"Then what will!?" Emma demanded.

"Fire."

She had studied all manner of creatures while in Rumpelstiltskin's castle. When she had done all her chores and cleaned all the items in the castle, if he were out on a deal that didn't involve her, sometimes she would go to his library and amuse herself with the various tales of deadly creatures and poisons and other cursed artifacts. When the man had caught her at it once, he took her on as not just a ward but a slight pupil, not in magic, no, she had her own and was content with it, but in teaching her of other things, like Ogre weaknesses and how to stop other creatures of the night and shadow. Wraiths were something she was well acquainted with in her books.

Mary Margaret quickly grabbed a lighter and an aerosol can that was on a nearby desk and used it to create a sort of flamethrower at the wraith, driving it back, sending it out the window.

"What the hell was that thing?" Emma gasped as David ran to Regina's side to help her up as the Wraith dropped her.

"A wraith," Piper stepped into the room, "Or a soul sucker. Whichever you prefer."

"The fire," Mary Margaret turned to her, "Did I…"

"You cannot kill that which is already dead," Piper remarked wisely, "You injured it, yes, but it shall regenerate the burned areas and come back just as strong as ever. That is quite a remarkable characteristic of a wraith, it allows it to continue on its mission, a mission it shall not stop until it has devoured the soul of its prey."

"Me," Regina huffed as she got up.

Mary Margaret stared at Piper though, she didn't bother to ask why she was there, she knew why. No matter what, no matter how…different…her cousin was, SHE was still her family and Sirens were infinitely protective of them. Whether she was a part of having this wraith appear, she would be willing to stop it, to get rid of it, if her family were put in danger. But one thing she didn't understand…why? This…this woman standing before her wasn't the cousin she remembered. This wasn't Rose Red, and she realized…it was the Pied Piper. Whatever happened to her, something in her past had made her like this, made her so unlike the young girl she remembered so fondly.

And she was determined (as soon as this threat was dealt with) to learn what happened.

"So we can't kill it then?" Emma shook her head.

"Afraid not," Piper shrugged.

"Then we have a problem."

"No, we don't," David shook his head, "Regina does."

"What?" Regina demanded.

"I like him," Piper smirked, "You chose well Snow."

"David?" Mary Margaret just turned to her husband.

"You want to let her die?" Emma frowned, that didn't sound like a fairytale hero.

"Why not?" he shook his head, "Then it goes away and then, we're safe."

"My thoughts exactly," Piper smiled.

"That's quite the example you're setting for your daughter, there," Regina glared.

"As though you are in any position to judge," Piper shot right back, "How many did you kill merely because they were in your way again?"

Regina turned away from her and focused on Emma and Mary Margaret, "Let me ask you something. Where do you think that thing came from? Gold."

"They are well aware," Piper let out a long breath, "Your attempts at turning them against him would be quite useless."

"It doesn't matter," Emma shook her head, "I made a promise to Henry. She's not dying."

"If it can't be killed, what do you suggest?" Mary Margaret looked at Regina, though she cast a wary look at her cousin, hardly able to believe this was the same woman who her last memory of was comforting her as her father died.

"Send it somewhere it can't hurt anyone," Regina stated.

~8~

Piper was sitting on the railing in city hall, watching as Regina prepared for something to send the wraith somewhere, Emma watching her and keeping an eye out for the wraith, when Mary Margaret and David ran in with brooms to act like torches.

"Torches," David called, handing them out, "For when it comes back. I know it's old fashioned, but so am I."

Piper tilted her head at the broom in her hand before setting it aside, "I do not understand why you are so adamant to help her."

Mary Margaret frowned, "And I don't understand why you're willing to let her die," the Rose she remembered had always been kind to Regina, as kind as she could bring herself to be to those who were not her blood-family.

Piper glanced at her, "People change."

Mary Margaret shook her head at that, for her cousin to change THIS much…it was worrying, but she would have to think about that later, right now the wraith would be coming back any second, "So. How does it work?"

"It will open a portal to our land," Regina stood, looking down at the hat, the Mad Hatter's Hat, on the ground, "All we have to do is send the wraith in there."

"Oh, yeah," David rolled his eyes, "Just that."

"I don't understand," Mary Margaret looked at Regina, "I thought our land was gone?"

"It is," she agreed, "But, sending it to a place that no longer exists…well, that's banishing it to oblivion."

Piper smirked, "Many thanks for the idea," she shot Regina a pointed look but the lights began to flicker and the Wraith appeared.

David and Mary Margaret quickly lit their torches as Emma called out, "Regina!"

Regina spun the hat, trying to open the portal…but it just sat there, "I'm trying."

The doors burst open and the wraith flew in, Mary Margaret and David trying to ward it off with their torches, "Regina!"

"I know," she snapped.

Piper, sitting on a side table, calm, glanced at the others, "If you attack it, it shall attack you back," she tried to warn them.

Mary Margaret merely grabbed a bottle of alcohol and spread it over the railing, "David!" she shouted and he rushed behind the barrier, dropping his torch on it to light it on fire, creating a line of flames to hold the wraith at bay.

"Hurry!" David cried.

"It's not working!" Regina huffed.

"Perhaps because you have no magic in this realm," Piper mused.

Emma just ran over to Regina and grabbed her shoulder to try and lean over her to get to the hat…when it suddenly seemed to trigger the woman's magic, sending the hat spinning wildly before them, a purple vortex appearing.

"Well that should not be," Piper frowned, getting off the table, eyeing Emma as she stepped closer.

"It's coming!" David warned as the wraith flew past the flames and charged at Regina.

"Regina!" Emma shoved the woman aside, making the wraith fall into the portal, but, as it was descending, it reached out and grabbed Emma's ankle, dragging her in.

"Emma!" Piper leapt over and grabbed Emma's hand, trying to pull her out, but was sucked in with her.

Vaguely she could hear her cousin shouting something about 'not losing her again' before her world went black.

~8~

Piper slowly blinked awake to a setting sun, only to find she was in some sort of hole, broken wood around her, Emma and Mary Margaret there, Emma between them, and…Mulan and Aurora standing above her.

Piper closed her eyes and laid her head back down, it appeared…

The Enchanted Forest wasn't quite so destroyed after all as she, Mary Margaret, and Emma were now there.

A/N: I have to say, going through this story, as I'm editing, all I keep hearing is the Hook/OC going 'Write me! Write me now damn it! I NEED to be there!' she's quite distracting lol. But I'm currently recording what she says and will have to muffle her slightly till I have more time to write lol :)

I was SO torn between whether to keep Piper in Storybrooke or have her with Snow, in the end, I think this chapter shows that they have a lot of things to work out about each other and they'll need the extra time just as much as Emma and Snow do ;)


	2. The Fallen Kingdom

The Fallen Kingdom

Rose Red sat in her carriage as it raced back to her kingdom, her head resting on the window, staring out at the greens of the forest as it rushed past. Her right arm was resting along the bottom of the window, bent at her elbow with her fist pressed to her lips. She was wearing a black dress, she had to wear it, her uncle, King Leopold, Snow White's father, had just passed, had been assassinated by the genie he'd freed only days ago. Her gown was long sleeved, the top fitted, but falling freely around her waist. There was nothing else to it, no beads, no embroidery, no design of any sort, just a plain black dress. She preferred simple things than extravagance despite being a princess. Her parents loved her in red, as it fit her name, but to her it was too much like the color of blood, she preferred greens or yellows, like her eyes or hair, or black even, darker colors.

She closed her eyes, she'd be wearing dark colors for a while now she knew, the mourning period had begun and she would soon be returning to Snow's side anyway. She hadn't wanted to leave, never, not when her cousin needed her the most. She had been there when Queen Eva died, she hadn't left Snow's side for ages after that. She could remember Snow crawling into her bed, tears in her eyes and just needing to be held and she tried her best to comfort her cousin, no…her sister. Snow had always been the one to comfort her when the remarks of others got to her at times, she always made her feel better and then it was her turn. It was her chance to be the support for her cousin in her hardest hour. She loved her aunt Eva, the woman always refused to allow her to call her Queen Eva, but preferred Aunt Eva instead. It was the same for her mother as well, and her father, they never let Snow call them anything but Aunt or Uncle and that was just as well. Both families wanted their children to be as close as siblings, familiar and comfortable with each other, a true family, and they were.

But now Snow had lost not just her mother but her father as well and…both to a poisoning. She had heard talk among the servants and the physicians who had examined Eva before and after she died. They hadn't breathed a word around Snow, but she'd always been more of a night owl than her cousin, prone to wandering the halls of the castle at night. She'd heard them talk about how suddenly the Queen had grown ill, how her symptoms were indicative of poison. They didn't know what sort of poison, they didn't know who had done it, whoever it was would be long gone by now but she knew that Snow and Leopold's food (and hers as well) would be tasted and tested much more before being given to them as a result. She hadn't told Snow about it either, it would hurt the girl less to think that it was just her mother's time to pass on than to know that someone had murdered her. Her cousin, despite being older, was always more naïve and innocent than she was, she had a pure heart and…she hadn't wanted to see it darkened, even then.

So she kept the knowledge to herself, she would bear that burden, she would do anything to keep her cousin as pure hearted as she was. She had been there when Eva breathed her last, she had heard her Aunt's words to Snow, how proud she was of her and how she had to keep goodness in her heart. She would do it for her aunt, she would make sure Snow never turned down the path of darkness…even if it meant SHE had to go down it instead. She wouldn't mind so much, a thought she was sure should have alarmed her, how easily she felt she could go down that path and not mind, but she couldn't bring herself to truly care. The dark…it always felt more HER than the light, Snow was pure and white, she was less innocent and darker than her cousin. If it meant protecting Snow, she'd do anything.

She smiled slightly, feeling the Siren part of her rising to that, they were quite protective of their families, willing to do anything at all, no matter the cost, to keep them safe. She liked that, when she felt that in her, it made her feel connected to her mother and her history, her past and her people.

But the smile faded quickly, thinking of the other half of herself, her human half, her father. She was going to have to be the one to tell him that his brother had died. She hadn't wanted to leave Snow in her hour of need, despite her stepmother, Regina, being there, but for news like this to come from a messenger…that would be horrible. No, her father loved his brother dearly, as dearly as she loved Snow, news of this magnitude should only come from her. But she was dreading it, she knew exactly the expression that would be upon her father's face at the news and it would break her heart.

She reached up lightly with her left hand, placing it as a fist on her heart, already she could feel it hardening slightly. That was a curse for Sirens, those of the sea, the longer they remained in it, the harder and harsher their hearts grew from their conditions and the acts they committed. She didn't know how her own heart, being half human, would react as she wasn't a full Siren, she wasn't part of the sea, but she could feel it. With every loss, with every heartbreak, with every betrayal and negative impact to her heart, it would harden, little by little, almost like how people could build walls around their feelings to protect themselves but…more a physical manifestation. As her heart hardened, it would grow not quite cold but unfeeling or uncaring of others. Not to the point of a Siren but she honestly wasn't sure how far her heart would go, what she'd become if ever she reached a point like that, where her heart just kept hardening. Those she loved, those already in her heart would be the only ones she felt anything for, they would be the ones she'd care for still and strive to protect and be able to love. It was everyone else that would have to work to break into her heart and find a place there.

Her family, what friends she had (the handful of them), and her true love, she knew, were the only ones in her heart at the moment. She cared for her people, yes, her kingdom, but in a way where it was her duty to protect them. They hadn't been…the most accepting of her mother, or of her. She heard them call her half-breed at times, banshee at others, when they thought she couldn't hear them. They would respect her as queen when she became one, but she would never have their full acceptance. She knew Snow, if she were in that position, would look past it, would care for and love her people no matter what, but she wasn't Snow and she didn't feel that way. She'd protect them and rule them well, as was her duty and obligation, but as they didn't accept her, she couldn't force herself to accept them fully into her heart either.

It was a double edged sword, being even part Siren, advantages and disadvantages abound.

She opened her eyes when she felt the carriage slow and saw that it was pulling up to the main steps of her castle. She could see her father and mother standing there, her mother with her arm though her father's arm, the two of them looked happy she was back but concerned as she was not due back just yet. She swallowed hard, seeing a hint of fear in her father's eyes, he knew something had to be wrong. She wouldn't doubt that he'd possibly felt his brother's life leave him just as she had heard her uncle's song stop. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the carriage, trying to keep her expression as calm and neutral as she could as she walked up the steps towards her parents.

"Rose," her mother smiled, stepping away from her father to hug her tightly, something her mother had grown to doing more and more as she got older, her heart becoming more human due to the love from her husband and daughter.

"Mother," Rose hugged her just as tightly, closing her eyes and breathing in her scent, taking strength from her mother for what she had to do now, the news she had to give her father.

"Rose?" her father called, giving her an odd look even as he held out his hand to her.

"Father," she took it, but instead of stepping into his arms and hugging him as she knew he wished her to do, she knelt down, still holding his hand, "I come with grave news."

"What has happened, child?" her father breathed, and she could feel him tensing in her hand.

"King Leopold…" she closed her eyes, "He has been killed."

"What!?" her father gasped, her mother quickly stepping to his side.

She nodded and looked up at her father, "He freed a Genie…and was killed, poisoned by vipers as he slept. Snow is…she is attending to the funeral as we speak," she watched as her father shook his head, tears in his eyes, not wanting to believe it, and quickly stood, stepping into his arms to hug him tightly as her mother rubbed his back, still at his side, "I am so sorry papa."

Her father wound his arms around her, clutching her to him, "Dead?" his voice shook with the tears and horror at the knowledge that his brother, his little brother had died.

"Yes," she forced herself to confirm, squeezing him once more before stepping away, reaching up to brush a tear from his cheek, "The Genie fled. We know not where."

Her father nodded his head, looking down at the ground a moment, closing his eyes to gather himself, not wanting to break down entirely before his people, needing to do it in private, "Rest now, Rose," he looked at her, "We shall depart in two days time to be with Snow."

She gave a small curtsying bow, stepping back to allow her father to turn with her mother and enter the castle. He appeared stiff and rigid, his head held high, but she could see him shaking. Two days, just two days to sort out those to watch the kingdom for them on their journey to see Snow, two days to get their affairs in order, and then she'd be back with her cousin, at her side, as she should be.

~8~

She wouldn't realize till days later what had woken her, but it was the screaming.

Rose jolted up in her bed, surprised she'd actually managed to fall asleep as she hadn't the last few nights. It was the night before they were to return to Snow's kingdom, everything had been sorted, everything was prepared and ready to go, they had advisors and regents in place to tend to the kingdom while they were gone for the short time it would take for her father to say goodbye before he returned with her mother to the kingdom again. Sirens rarely ever left those they loved, it was a difficult thing to do, be separated from those they cared for. There always had to be someone there that they felt loved by or loved in return for them to sustain themselves away from the sea and not turn bitter. Her mother was either around her or her father and never alone for longer than a month or two, which was fine, she loved her mother and her father loved his wife so much he rather enjoyed that he was the focus of her attention in that way. She herself was around her parents or Snow and that was enough for her. She could go longer without being around people she loved, she was sure, she wasn't a full Siren so she could probably last a year, maybe two, but she didn't want to find out.

She hadn't been able to sleep though, the grief of her father and her own for her uncle was consuming and distracting and kept sleep away. She just wanted to comfort her father, help him get closure, and return to Snow to help her grieve her father as she'd helped her cousin grieve her mother. She'd been so focused on that that sleep hadn't come easy, so she assumed that the fact they'd be with Snow the very next day had comforted her enough to get even a few hours of sleep before. So she was understandably disoriented when she was woken so suddenly…and even more confused and startled when she saw orange and red flickering outside her window.

She scrambled out of bed, rushing to the window and stared in horror at the sight beyond. The kingdom was on fire! It was literally burning before her very eyes, there were Knights dressed all in black running around, rounding up the peasants, some even being run through, and just utter chaos everywhere. She ran to the chest at the end of her bed and opened it, grabbing her boots off it and pulled them on, nearly ready to tear the bottom of her nightgown off to get them on fast, when the door to her room slammed open.

She gasped and spun around, only to see a man standing there with stubble and light hair. She frowned at the song she could hear off him, there was…a note missing, she could tell, there was something missing about this man.

"You must come with me," he ran into the room, grabbing her arm.

"No!" she pulled away, recognizing his uniform as the same one of the Black Knights outside. She stumbled back, into her bedside table, feeling her pipe, the pipe Snow had given her, resting on it, and grabbed it, ready to use some sort of song to stop him, when he spoke again.

"Please, I promised Snow White!"

She blinked, "You know my cousin?"

"I helped her escape," he nodded, reaching out to grab her arm again, Rose quickly slipping the pipe into her boot as she let herself be dragged off.

"I do not understand," she shook her head, "Escape what?!"

"The Queen."

"Regina?" she frowned, feeling truly lost now.

"Yes," the man swallowed, "She hired me to kill Snow White."

"What!?" she tried to pull away again.

But the man quickly spun around and pulled her into a niche in the wall, behind a suit of armor as more Black Knights ran past, pressing his hand to her mouth, making her tempted to bite it.

"The Queen wished for me to cut out her heart," he told her quietly, looking at her intently so she'd see the truth in his eyes, "I could not bring myself to do it, I helped her escape instead."

Rose reached up and lowered his hand, "She took your heart instead."

He stared at her, "How did you…"

"Your song is missing a note."

If he was confused by her statement, he said nothing about it, "Before Snow White fled, she begged me to help you. To protect her cousin, to see her safe as well should the Queen attack."

Rose closed her eyes, "And she is…" she realized, "Regina is attacking my kingdom."

"Aye," the man nodded grimly, "So you must come with me, I need to get you out of here before the Queen realizes it is me helping you."

She nodded and he took her hand instead, leading her out from behind the niche, down the corner and around it, down a hall, down the stairs, trying to get her out.

"The throne room!" she tugged him back a moment when he seemed lost, this was HER castle, she knew all the exits, "It has a secret staircase to the tunnels under the castle, they lead to the woods."

The man nodded and hurried in that direction, recalling passing the throne room on the way to find her, assuming her room was in one of highest points in the castle. They ran into the throne room to see it was empty and Rose took the lead, rushing across the long hall to the thrones themselves. Her father had had them moved recently, three sitting right in front, on a small platform, her throne in the center as her father wanted her used to being seen and hearing the qualms of the people, had wanted to start her solving them with his help and support. The thrones were evenly spaced apart though and she ran between her father and hers, the other man between her mother and hers, towards a tapestry of her family crest hanging in the back, a large, heavy tapestry that went to the ground. It had a few holes in it though, ones her father refused to see repaired as he claimed it showed its age and character and how long their family had been around.

"Behind there," she called, leading him to it.

They just reached one end of it when the doors were thrown open.

The man grabbed her hand and pulled her behind the tapestry, seeing that it was hanging slightly off the wall, though it couldn't be seen from looking right at it. He tugged her towards the middle where he could see a cut in the wall despite the darkness, a doorway. They reached it when Rose and the man both froze at the voice speaking.

"Where is she!?" Regina's voice nearly snarled.

Rose crept forward with the man, looking through a small slit in the fabric, long but thin, and could see Regina standing with her Black Knights, facing her. Her father on the ground, forced to his knees, with her mother held in the grip of two knights to the side.

"I will NEVER tell you," her father remained defiant.

"Tell me where Rose Red is or you shall feel my wrath," Regina glared.

Rose shook her head as she stared at the woman, dressed in a tight, black, leather dress, this…this was not the same woman she had seen days ago and she closed her eyes realizing a change like this didn't just happen…it took time. Which meant this was the Regina she'd been hiding from them all…

"I will not betray my daughter to you, you murderer!" her father to his feet.

Rose let out a breath and opened her eyes, all of it falling into place, it hadn't been the Genie, had it, that killed her uncle? It couldn't be, not with how Regina had apparently ordered the man behind her to kill Snow. She could tell he was telling the truth, she could hear it in a voice when a lie was being told. Whatever happened, Snow was safe, he really had helped her escape.

"Why are you doing this?!" Rose's eyes drifted to her mother as the woman spoke.

Regina didn't even look at her, choosing to answer the question directed at the king instead, "I want Snow White to suffer dearly for what she did to me. She is the reason my true love is dead, why my happy ending is no more," she smirked, "And I shall see to it that Snow White shall never be happy again."

"And you think attacking my kingdom, my daughter, will keep Snow ever being happy?" her father challenged Regina.

"I think taking away the people SHE truly loves will be a start!" Regina snapped.

Rose nearly shouted out to stop when Regina shoved her hand into the king's chest and pulled out his red beating heart, sending him to his knees in a cry of pain when she squeezed it. She would have screamed, she would have shouted, had the man not covered her mouth once more.

Tears filled her eyes, a strangled noise coming from her as she watched the Queen squeeze her father's heart till it turned to dust…and her father collapsed to the ground, dead. The man tugged her back more, seeing her starting to struggle and knowing that it would make the tapestry move. But then her mother screamed and fell to her knees, the Knights letting her go as she clutched at her own heart. Rose shook her head, begging the gods not to do this, Sirens, full-blooded Sirens, were bound to their loves, to their spouses, to their mates, when one died…the other did as well. Her mother had bound herself to her father upon the consummation of their marriage…and now she was forced to watch her mother crumbling in pain, twitching and seizing on the floor as her own soul and heart died within her…

Till she stopped moving as well.

Regina just stared at their bodies with a sneer, before she turned around with a flourish of her dress, "Find the girl!" she snapped the order to her men and they ran out of the room to do her bidding, Regina just sauntering out after them.

Rose stared in horror at her parents' bodies, tears falling down her eyes and onto the man's hand as he held her still, before she felt him moving, pulling her away from them, from the tear in the tapestry, closer to the doorway that led to a small hall to the staircase, and she let him for she had little strength left to fight.

~8~

Rose was sitting on a rock in the middle of the woods, the flames of her kingdom still visible to her even in the thick of the forest as she stared blankly in that direction. She had a brown cloak around her, didn't even flinch when the man, the Huntsman he'd finally told her, had taken it off the body of a dead peasant on the way to help hide her. She was just…in shock, sitting there, replaying the moment Regina had reached into her father's chest and crushed his heart in front of her very eyes.

She could feel it, even now, she could feel her heart hardening even more at the loss of her father and mother in the same moment. That coupled with the death of the guards, of the peasants, of her kingdom…it too much, it was all too much. Her heart was pounding and aching and the only thing that was comforting her in any small way was the thought and knowledge that Snow had escaped, that her cousin, the last of her blood family was out there somewhere and alive.

But her father and mother…

Was it bad that she had not shed a tear since she'd reached the forest? She saw it happen over and over yet no other tears came.

"I must get back," the Huntsman said as he paced beside her, glancing at the burning kingdom every few seconds, "If the Queen notices my absence…she will know what I've done," he glanced at her, "I am sorry I cannot help you more…"

"You can," she swallowed hard, making a decision as she turned to him, "You said you helped Snow escape."

"I did," he agreed.

"If it is at all possible," she looked up at him, "Make it so I have died."

"I'm sorry?" he shook his head.

"Spread the word, I know not how or who to, but…" she bit her lip a moment and nodded, "Whatever the cost, Snow MUST think I died."

"You don't want her to know you live?" he frowned, "Her last request was that I save you."

"And you have," she slowly stood, "But now you must save her once more. Do not let her know I have survived. She…" she faltered, her voice cracking, "Snow will come after me, if she knows. She will try to find me. Reg…the Queen would use that to lay a trap for her. The more Snow believes me dead, the safer she shall be. I will not see her die in a hope of finding me."

The Huntsman considered her a moment, before nodding, "It shall be done."

"Many thanks," she gave him a small nod.

The man returned it before spinning on his heel and rushing back towards the kingdom, leaving Rose standing there, watching his form grown smaller in the darkness, before her gaze drifted to the glow of the flames. Her kingdom was no more, all of her family but one were dead, and she knew…Regina would not believe the Huntsman or any reports until she held her heart in her hand, with her before the Queen, and crushed it herself. The people might think it paranoia on Regina's part, to hunt a girl soon to be believed as dead, but she didn't care what Regina thought, let her be hunted like an animal, let her be a target of the Queen's wrath…so long as that targeting helped distract even slightly from Snow, so long as SNOW thought her truly dead.

As long as her cousin was safe, she would endure anything, she COULD endure anything.

Or so she hoped she could.

She closed her eyes a moment, thinking of a song her mother had taught her just the other day, a song of mourning. It was a song that was meant to help the spirits of the dead find peace in the afterlife. She hadn't had enough control of her magic when she'd been 8 years old to be able to learn the song the way it was meant to be learned and be able to sing it for Eva, but her mother had taught it to her, to sing for Leopold.

It seemed now, she'd be singing it for many more people, so many that were dear to her as well.

She took a breath and began to sing a faint song, not daring to sing louder, not sure if Regina would be able to feel her magic as she clearly possessed it herself. She couldn't risk the Queen realizing where she was just yet. No, so she sang it quietly, but with no less a sense of importance that she knew those who had died, like her uncle, her mother, her father, deserved. She let the magic fill her, released it in the song, letting it drift up to the heavens as a prayer for comfort and peace for those who died so horribly.

She staggered when the song ended, reaching out a hand to brace it on a tree beside her. She was panting, her eyes open and staring at the forest floor as she tried to regather her strength. That probably had not been the best thing to do while she was about to being a life on the run, she would need every bit of strength and fortitude she had to escape and keep going…but she HAD to do this, she couldn't leave without knowing she'd done at least something for those who had died in Regina's quest for revenge.

She felt her hand curl into a fist at that thought. Regina, a woman she once felt so sorry for, a woman she sympathized with, a woman she had once thought of as family…now she felt something quite different. She felt hatred, pure, simple, hatred for the woman. She felt a desire for revenge fill her, but unlike Regina, she wasn't going to go on a rampage, she wasn't going to make every other person in her way suffer just to get to the woman. No. She had more control than that, she had more clarity.

Regina had been the one to harm her, to kill her father (and mother) before her, and _Regina_ would be the one that would suffer her revenge. Come hell or high water, she WOULD see it through, she would see that Regina punished for what she did. She didn't know how or what she'd do, but it would be something of equal hurt to the woman.

She pounded her fist onto the tree a moment before she pushed away. She stood tall, taking a breath, her other hand clutching the cloak closed more at the chill of the night air, and took one more look at her kingdom. She glanced down and took the piper out of her boot, looking at it a long while before she looked back up at the kingdom, steeling herself for what she would have to do now.

She threw her cloak hood up, put the pipe back in her boot, and turned around, walking away from the remains of her kingdom and out into the darkness, letting it surround her as she disappeared into the night, only one thought on her mind.

Regina would not get away with this, no...the Queen would pay.

A/N: To start, I'm sorry there was no chapter yesterday and that this one is so late :( We had a bad thunderstorm early yesterday morning (like midnight early) and the transformer outside my house got struck with lightning :( I semi laugh-cried at that, it survived Hurricane Sandy but got hit in a T-storm -sigh- The power was out all day and even into today as well. Worse yet, my sister was down the shore with a friend for Memorial Day Weekend with her laptop, I had no access to a car till about 6pm (the library near my house closes as 3 on Saturdays), so I was practically trapped in my house all day with our two dogs without even my phone working from a depleted battery :( I was hopeful the power would be on this morning but it was still off and my town does our Memorial Day parade today (my brother marches with the Fire Department so we always go) and then have to go to a barbque afterwards at the Firehouse. Of course, when I get home, at some point between leaving for the parade and getting back the power came back on -sigh- BUT! It meant I could post! :) So I practically flew to my bedroom to get the computer started (now that it's all fixed up from the last virus).

But I will make it up to you guys :) It's Memorial Day Weekend for me, and tomorrow's Memorial Day so I'll post 2 chapters tomorrow for you of both this and DW ;)

And...WOO! 8,000,000 words archived as of posting this chapter! ^-^ I'm hoping for 10 mil by the end of this year :) If I hit it by October that'll be 10 mil in 2.5 years :) Which is about 11,000 words a day ^-^

Some notes on reviews...

I'm not sure if I'll make a Wattpad :/ I haven't been keeping up with my Quotev one and if that's an indication of how wattpad might go, I might just ask a few people who messaged me to please keep an eye out. Apparently the original author can report plagiarism to wattpad without needing an account, but it depends. If I manage to update my quotev in the next few days I might do what I did there and make a Wattpad just for the first chapter and give a link to this site. Yeah, it just seems to keep happening to me :( (I still can't believe it was 3x for 1 person -sigh-) but the Thor story has been postponed. I don't want to start that one till my DW story is finished, so not the day after, but the day after that the Thor one will be up once DW is over :)

Lol, you never know, Piper and Gold might find a way around his powers to have a child, could be a daughter or a son ;)

Nope, Rose didn't have a true love before Rumple :) But we'll have to see what's coming for Piper ;)

Cora might not recognize Piper at first, the last time she saw the girl was when she was about...11 or 12 and now she's about 40 in appearance ;) Oh but Piper will have SO much to do with Hook, some things that might just shock Snow }:)


	3. We Are Both

We Are Both

"What do you mean she's gone?" Gold glared as David and Henry stood before him in his shop, this hand clenching the top of his cane tightly.

David sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "Emma pushed Regina aside so the Wraith could get trapped in a portal to the Enchanted Forest, or whatever's left of it. But it grabbed Emma and Piper tried to pull her away and got sucked in instead."

"But it's ok," Henry tried to tell the man, "She's with Snow White and Emma and if there's even a little bit of the Enchanted Forest left they'll be there together…"

"Without a portal," Gold hissed, his eyes narrowing even more as he looked at David.

"So we need to make one," David told him, "We need to make one here so we can get back to them, so we can get them back."

Gold merely reached out and grabbed David by the front of his shirt, pulling him down to sneer in his face, "There should be no reason to get them back in the first place! Piper…"

"Isn't the only one who was taken!" David snapped.

"Why shouldn't I just snap your neck instead for failing to protect them?" Gold threatened, "You're not blood family to Pip, I'm sure she'd understand me spilling your blood…"

"But Snow White wouldn't," Henry defended, "Snow White would be devastated and THAT would be something Piper wouldn't understand. They're cousins, according to my book they're more like sisters," he held up the fairytale book, "Hurting him will hurt Piper in the long run."

"You want Piper back, you have to help us find a way to get the three of them back too," David added, "Or do you think she'd leave her Snow and Emma there alone?"

Gold's grip on David's shirt tightened for a moment before he shoved him away, "If one hair on her head is harmed while she is there…" he threatened, it was all David's fault, in his mind, his and Snow White and Emma and Henry. He and Piper had had no issue summoning the wraith, if they had all just left the wraith to Regina NONE of this would happen.

It was times like this he couldn't understand how on earth Rose Red and Snow White were cousins, were blood, had been raised together. His Pip…she had stood at his side as he summoned a vengeful spirit to suck the soul out of someone else and been content with it. And Snow White decided to go after it and protect a woman who had made her life a living nightmare. He nearly felt his insides twist in disgust if Piper were ever so…weak as Snow White. But he had nothing to worry about, the Piper he knew was the Piper she was and he loved her for who she was now, darkness and all, as equally as she loved him for all his darkness too.

"You will find Regina's quest to end your happiness mere child's play," he finished, "Now get out of my shop. I have research to do."

And with that, Gold turned his back on the two and disappeared in the back of his shop, looking to the books he had on portals. The sooner he could find one that worked in this land, the sooner he could get his true love back before he did something he would later regret…like murder Prince Charming.

He closed his eyes, it was so…odd, to him, he didn't understand how it worked. Piper…she had all the potential to be as dark and ruthless as Regina or even her mother had been, she had a unique look at the world and a general acceptance of the consequences that came from her actions. The lengths she could go for something were just as far as he was willing, the darkness in her matching his own. He SHOULD be worse than ever, more immersed in the darkness that was his life and magic, he should be even more cunning and cruel and ruthless and brutal, she would accept all of that in him, but…even with her accepting him and allowing him to be as he was…there was just something about her that made him tempered in a way, controlled, in control of himself. He didn't understand what it was or how it happened, that he felt nearly a better man, had better intentions, since knowing her, yet was so much more darker in his heart and soul at the same time.

He shook his head, he had little time to think of that, right now he…he just wanted her back.

~8~

The town of Storybrooke was in chaos come morning, there were so many people in the small town that it was hard for people even now to find their loved ones. Everyone had two sets of memories, of their lives in the town and also in the Enchanted Forest. There were so many debates on who should stay with who, old or new families, where were the missing people, had everyone come over with the curse, so many issues still to be resolved. There was a fear of what Regina would do now that magic was back, what Gold would do. There was just so many people going frantic, so many questions to be asked, and no one had a set answer.

But still, everyone turned to their noble rulers, and so the moment David stepped into the Crisis Center that had been set up in search for Henry, people swarmed him nearly instantly.

"Do we know where Rump- Mr. Gold is?" Ruby asked.

"He's still in his shop," Henry tried to tell her, but even more people came over when they saw David had arrived.

"Wait!" Archie called, "Does the Queen still have power?"

"I thought I would find my boy…" Marco sighed.

"August…" Henry tried to tell him but the noise of various voices were too loud.

"Hey, let me ask you something?" Dr. Whale turned to David, "Are the nuns still nuns? Or can they, you know, date?"

"Uh, I don't know…" David shook his head.

"Don't say it's me asking…"

"Blue!" David finally managed to pull away, seeing the Blue Fairy, Mother Superior standing there and gestured her over, "Could there be a tree on this side? The way we sent Emma through as a baby. Maybe I could go after them that way."

"It's possible," she nodded, "But without fairy dust to guide us there…no, it's hopeless."

"No," Henry shook his head, "I know where it is."

The talking quieted as they turned to him.

"Henry?" David stared, "You know where the tree is that Emma came through?"

He nodded, "Piper showed me."

"And how did SHE know?" Whale scoffed, not many of them had ever had an encounter with the Pied Piper, but they DID remember seeing the blonde with Gold numerous times and the comments she made left little to the imagination of what sort of relationship they had. Anyone that close to Rumpelstlitskin couldn't be good news.

"August showed her when she adopted him."

"August!" Marco/Gepetto gasped, "She found my boy?"

"Wait, Pinocchio came through the tree too?" David looked at them, "Blue you said it could only carry 1!"

Blue bowed her head, "Gepetto refused to build the wardrobe if I didn't agree to allow him to send his son through as well. It originally could carry 2."

David closed his eyes a moment, had Pinocchio not gone through, he could have gone in with Emma, him or Snow, she would have been safe and loved. But even thinking that, he couldn't fault the man for wanting his son safe. That had been their reason for sending Emma through, to keep her safe.

"He was here," Marco breathed, tears in his eyes, "I did not know him and…"

"It's ok Gepetto," Henry patted his arm, "He was safe, Piper took good care of him. She officially adopted him in this world so that she could keep him safe."

"She raised my boy?" Marco looked at him, so relieved that Pinocchio hadn't been left to his own for 28 years.

"She did," Henry nodded, "He calls her mom and all. He's ok, he um…he was turning back into wood though…"

"Where is he?"

"Granny's diner," Henry said and Marco ran off.

"Henry," David shook his head, "You remember where the tree is?"

"Of course I do," Henry nodded, "Piper showed me where my MOM came into this world? I memorized everything."

"We need to go there now and…"

"But it's across the town line," Henry reminded him, "Only Emma, Piper, August, Regina and I can cross it! Two of those aren't here, August was um, wood, and I don't want the Evil Queen near the tree, she might throw a fireball at it."

"The curse is broken though," David disagreed, "We should be able to cross the line now and…"

"Terrible news!" Leroy shouted, rushing over with his dwarf brothers, dragging a confused looking Sneezy behind him, "Terrible news! We were out at the town limits. Tell them who you think you are, Sneezy."

"Oh, will you stop calling me that," Sneezy pulled away with a huff, "You know who I am. I'm Tom Clark. I own the Dark Star Pharmacy. What's going on here?"

Leroy turned back to David, "If you cross the border, you lose your memory all over again."

"A-And coming back doesn't fix it?" Archie frowned.

"If it did, would I have come running in yelling 'terrible news?!' If we leave, our curse selves become our only selves."

Henry frowned as the crowd began to panic, "I wonder if my mom knows?"

"People!" David shouted above the din, "Everybody! Everybody meet back here in two hours. I'll tell you my plan to fix everything."

Ruby waited till the crowd started to disperse before approaching David, "What's the plan?"

"I don't know," he sighed, "But I got two hours to figure it out."

~8~

Gold was sitting in his back room, his cane beside him, his leg up on another chair across from him. He didn't often sit like that, it wasn't his quirk to put his feet up on everything in front of him, it was Piper's. But knowing that she wasn't there, that she was trapped in the Enchanted Forest, he just…wanted something familiar to him. He'd found himself doing it periodically over the last 28 years, putting his foot up on something, it reminded him of her, it was a comfort. He was…worried, more worried than he wanted to admit he was.

The truth was he didn't know what was left of the Enchanted Forest. It should have been destroyed with the curse, or portions of it should have been. He'd put in failsafes for that as well, to protect certain areas, enough where a kingdom could be rebuilt. He'd always planned to return with Bae to the Forest, the plans extending to include Piper in them. He knew there were lands that were safe, but there were equally others that were destroyed and wiped out. He also knew that only the humans had been brought there, or those who were originally humans. Ogres, Trolls, and so many other creatures would be running rampant, the land would be dangerous for the girls to be in.

What alarmed him was that…ALL the Forest should have been transported to this world save the creatures. But he knew very well that there were quite a few missing. Sleeping Beauty for one, he always kept track of Maleficent's escapades, Mulan, Robin Hood and his Merry Men, that blasted hooked pirate, and quite a few others. They weren't there. Which meant there had to be something else out there that had kept them safe and stuck in the Forest. He could only think of one person with the skill, power, and knowledge to protect an area like that.

And if SHE was there…he honestly wasn't sure which he'd fear for more, Piper or that blasted woman.

His money would be on Piper being the larger threat though. He grinned to himself thinking that, he'd told Piper of all his past lovers, of course he had, there was literally no secrets between them. He'd had a bit of a fascination with telling her some areas of his past, how easily she accepted it, as easily as when he'd asked her to tend to the skins of the children once. He'd been quite interested to see her thoughts, how she looked at him after she learned darker areas of his past. When he'd told her of the Dark Curse, of all he'd done in getting to the point of it being cast, she had gone quiet, and thought long on it and what it would mean for her family, for herself and those she cared about, and then later remarked that he was quiet the genius to have the patience and drive to plan something like that out. She was quite likely the only one besides Regina that could appreciate the magnitude of the curse and everything involved in it.

He looked over towards the door when he heard the bell in his shop ding but no one called out. He placed one of the books down and set his leg on the ground when he heard someone rummaging through the items in the shop instead.

His eyes narrowed and he stood, gripping his cane and entered the shop to see Regina sifting through his books, "The library's beneath the clock tower," he called, "You closed it, remember?" before smirking, "When you still had power."

"I need the book," she demanded, "I need to get my son back."

"Which book?" he tried to ask innocently, but she gave him a look, "Ah. So, it's come down to that, eh? You need your mommy's help?"

"Give me the book!"

"Do you really need the smell of the written word to get the magic flowing again?" he remarked dryly, making sure the disappointment in his 'pupil' was heavy, "Maybe if you relaxed, it would just happen."

"I don't have time. It worked once, I know I can do it. I just… I just need a shortcut back."

"Yeah, well, I don't have time, either. Leave," he demanded, but she remained, "Please."

Still Regina remained, her arms crossed over her chest, "Well, how about that. Your 'pleases' have lost their punch."

His eyes narrowed at that, with the curse broken the deal made before it was set had been undone as well, "Well, the fact remains, jumpstarting your magic is not in my best interest."

"You know what else isn't in your best interest? Having everyone know the Enchanted Forest still exists," she smirked, "You thought I didn't know that?" she scoffed, "You're up to something."

"Perhaps it would have something to do with my true love being back home, dearie," his nearly spat, "Don't presume to know what I'm doing or not."

Regina just grinned, "Well then, you know that the likely event will be that it'll take BOTH our magic to open a portal like that," she held out her hand, "In which case, I'll need my magic back."

Gold's jaw tensed, he didn't like this, how bogged down his mind was with concern when Piper was in danger or not with him. He couldn't focus as well, he slipped up, he fell into traps easier. He would have to be more careful, but that didn't take away from the fact that she was right, if a portal was to be opened, it would likely take the two of them to do it. He held up his hand and magically produced the book into it.

"Careful, dearie," he handed it to her, "These are straight up spells. Rough in the system."

"I don't care if they turn me green," her eyes narrowed as his sparked with amusement at her choice of words, "I'm getting my son back."

He nodded as she snatched the book and stormed out, "Oh my…"

"What?" Regina stopped at the door, looking back at him.

"It's just, holding that…" he nodded at the book, "I told you once you didn't look like her, but now…now I can see it. You'd better be careful, dearie," he smirked, "Pip isn't a fan of your mother either."

Regina sneered at that, "Something we have in common," she snapped before she turned and strode out the shop.

Gold smirked and turned back to the back room, with Regina running around with magic…perhaps that would distract everyone else and give him some peace.

~8~

Henry sat in Mary Margaret and Emma's apartment, watching as David practiced the speech he was going to give to everyone in the mirror…badly. Seriously, they mentioned nothing about Prince Charming's actual lack of charm in the book…besides Snow's first meeting with him.

"People of Storybrooke," David began, "I know we're trapped together again, and things look bleak. But…they're…not?"

"No, keep going," Henry called when he faltered, "You were on to something."

"No, I wasn't," he sighed, turning away from the mirror to go rooting through a bag, "I did the fighting, Snow did the talking," he pulled out the hat that Regina had had from it. It was flat and torn and looked more like a mess of fabric than what had once been a hat.

"Can I see that?" Henry held out a hand.

"Yeah," David handed it over.

Henry eyed it, "I think I know what this is!" he cheered, hurrying over to his story book and looking through it till he grinned, finding the story of the Mad Hatter, the hat was the same, "It's the Mad Hatter's hat. It's a portal between worlds."

"The Mad Matter…" David frowned.

"You've heard of him?"

"No. I-I mean, yeah. I mean, the prince me doesn't know him, but David had memories of reading Alice in Wonderland in school. I need to get it to work again. Who is he? I-I mean, who is he here?"

"Jefferson," Henry stated instantly.

"What?" David looked at him.

"His name is Jefferson, he lived in that big house in the woods…"

"Let me guess," David sighed, rubbing his eyes, "Piper took you to meet him."

"Not exactly…" Henry said slowly and David gave him a look and he gave David a sheepish smile, "Remember when Show was in jail for killing Abigail?"

David winced, "I was trying to forget that part actually," he mumbled, hating to think of the time his faith in his wife had faltered.

"Well Snow escaped, she found one of the Evil Queen's skeleton keys in the cell and ran. Emma tracked her down and it was Jefferson that found them both. He sort of kidnapped them and was going to try and make Snow remember her past and get Emma to believe in the curse."

"He did what?!" David gaped at him, how had he not known that his wife had been kidnapped and held hostage!

"It's ok though, Piper went right there when she found out and warned him…well, she said she warned him, but he seemed pretty freaked out to see her so I think she threatened him…which is sort of ok because he didn't hurt Emma or Snow White. She warned him not to hurt them and to make sure Snow was back in the cell by the morning."

David let out a long breath, realizing just how much Piper and Henry and even Gold had been behind trying to help break the curse, "The big house in the woods?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded, "I don't know if he's still there, if the curse broke he might be trying to find his daughter. Maybe he'll check in at the Crisis Center. You could check after the thing."

"What thing?" David glanced at him.

"The meeting?" Henry reminded him, "Where you tell us about your plan, remember? The speech you were doing?"

"Right," David nodded, grabbing the hat back from Henry and heading for the door, "I'll be back for that."

Henry hurried after him though, "Gramps, you got to use me. Come on! The curse was broken cause of me. Let me help!" but the door shut in front of him, "Or…not."

He crossed his arms and pouted a moment, one day he would get them all to see that he could handle this. David seemed to forget HE had been the one behind Operation Cobra and everything, that HE was the one who knew where Pinocchio was and who the Mad Hatter was. He let out a sigh before he turned to head to the Center, with everyone there with so many scattered memories, maybe a familiar face from this world would help, and he wanted to help. He and Piper and the others really had talked about the possibilities of what it would be after the curse was broken. Gold had been firm in the belief that they'd still be in this world, but with their memories instead.

It would take time for everything to settle, but until then, there was no reason why he couldn't go help.

~8~

Gold stood in his shop, stuffing a bag full of vials and items, some maps, when David barged in. He nearly rolled his eyes at all the interruptions. Piper had told him about how August had come into this world through a tree a few towns over, how Emma had as well. He hadn't been to see it but she'd said where it was and he could find it easily, he just had to get out of town. He could create a portal from that, he'd be able to go to the Enchanted Forest and bring her (and the others) back, but he had to GET there to do it.

Right now he couldn't afford any distractions, he needed to be focused and he needed to be able to get out there and find that blasted tree. He needed to make sure he had all the items he'd need to make the portal, and people just kept interrupting him and bothering him and distracting him. Every moment wasted was another where Piper was trapped. He'd made a decision a long time ago that he would find his son no matter what, but along the way it had changed a little to include Piper being there. He couldn't make his heart let go of that, he wanted her there when he found his Bae, he wanted her with him…he had to get her back first before he tried to go after his son. And…she knew this world, she knew how things operated outside the town, she could help him…perhaps Emma as well. Both had a different perspective, Piper in the world and Emma in hiding from people and running which he assumed his son was doing.

"It appears when I bought that closed sign, I was just throwing my money away," Gold muttered.

"Looks like it," David strode up to him at the counter.

"If you're looking for an update on my progress," he said dryly, "I'm afraid portal jumping is just outside my purview. I am still trying to find one that will work," even now, even knowing the tree was out there, there was no way to know for sure if it would work. It was outside the town lines, it was in a land truly without magic. There was nothing to say that the tree would work outside the town line.

"Of course it is."

"So, what's the commotion outside?"

"Oh, a little stir at the border. Problem crossing the line."

THAT made him pause though, if there was something about the town line and he was planning to cross it, he needed to know what it was, "Do tell."

"Actually, I'm here to buy something. A way to find someone."

"Well, like a map?"

David rolled his eyes, "Something with a bit more kick. Like the ring you gave me to find Snow."

"Ah, yeah, magic," he nodded, "Whom are you following?"

"Not telling," David shook his head.

"So, do you have something of theirs, this missing person?"

"Yes."

"May I see it?" he held out a hand, he shouldn't be helping, he didn't have time, but if helping would make David tell him what there was wrong with the town line, he'd do it.

"No."

Gold sighed and pulled a small vial out of a box behind him, "Pour this on the object, and then follow it. So simple, even David Nolan could do it," he pulled it away when David moved to take it.

"What do you want?" David demanded.

"Peace. Leave me alone."

"What do you care what David Nolan does?"

"Oh, no. It's _Charming_ I worry about. You and your little family caused for my Pip to fall into a portal when you could have left well enough alone," his eyes hardened before he took a breath, "I'd like a little non-interference guarantee."

"Fine," David ground out, "If, you give me the same. You and I, we stay out of each other's way."

Gold nodded and handed the potion over, "Thank you for your business," he waited till the man nearly reached the door before he called out again, "So, uh, what happens when you try and cross the border?"

David paused and looked back at him, "You lose your memory of everything of our old lives. Looks like we're stuck here."

Gold's grip on his cane tightened at that as David left the shop before he turned and smashed two of his display cases with his cane.

His change at getting Piper back, at finding his son…gone.

~8~

Rather far away, in another world, three women were being dragged along after a pair of horses through what was nearly a wasteland of the Enchanted Forest. Mulan and the Princess Aurora were sitting on the horses, trotting along slowly, as Piper, Mary Margaret, and Emma followed behind, walking, their hands bound to the horses. The world around them was deserted, seeming to be almost dying in how untended it was, with little life around it.

"What is this place?" Mary Margaret breathed.

"Our home," Mulan answered as they reached an island that finally had some life to it, the inhabitants of the realm, those who were still alive, were making their way around in a village-like camp.

"It's like they're refuges," Emma frowned.

"Survivors," Piper countered, "Those who were not taken with the curse."

Mulan glanced back at them, a moment, suspicious of how she knew that before dismounting, helping Aurora down as well, the two of them continuing to pull the women on on foot…when Mary Margaret kneed Aurora in the gut and turned to run.

"Run!" Mary Margaret cried, Emma following.

Piper, however sighed, and stood there as Mulan threw a roped weapon at Mary Margaret, knocking her unconscious, Emma hurrying to her side. She pursed her lips and looked at Mulan, "Harm my cousin again and I shall have you bleeding out your ears before you can lift a weapon to me," she gave Mulan a hard look, "Understood?"

"Tell her not to attack again and I won't retaliate," Mulan shot right back.

Piper shook her head and moved over to Mary Margaret's side, "Her greatest weakness," she murmured to Emma, "Her hope. Had I thought we could escape, I would have made it so we could earlier. I have ample experience trying to escape situations and failing."

Emma glanced at her and then back to Mulan, "What did you do?" she demanded of the woman.

But Mulan just turned to a few men around them, "Take them to the pit!" she ordered.

Emma tried to struggle, though Piper went willingly, her eyes on Mary Margaret to make sure she wasn't harmed even as they were thrown into a sort of dungeon, more like a basement of sorts with no stairs but a ladder.

"Be careful!" Emma snapped at the men but they shut the door, a stream of light coming down from a hole in it, before she turned to Mary Margaret on the floor, Piper looking around to something behind her and edging towards it, her eyes on the shadows before them, "Come on…" she tried to wake the woman, "Wake up. Can you hear me?"

"Do you need help?" a voice asked from the shadows Piper was staring at.

"Who are you?" Emma looked up, frowning, unable to see the woman in the shadows of the room.

"A friend," the voice reassured, stepping out to reveal a kindly looking woman, regal in air, "My name's…"

She didn't get a chance to finish when she pitched forward and fell to the ground with a thump, Piper with a small rock in her hand, standing behind her, glaring down at the woman on the ground she'd just knocked out. Emma would have asked her what the hell that was about but the look on Piper's face stopped her, she clearly knew this woman, and the woman was clearly nothing good.

Piper just dropped the rock, her hands in fists as she looked down at the woman, "Hello Cora."

A/N: Sorry this was late, I had a note on my tumblr about it. My brother and his firemen buddies should not be drinking at barbeques and things. One of the drunker members started a fight with my brother and he reacted in self defense. He got in a fight with my father afterwards about it and I played mediator till about 3am. I know I also promised 2 chapters today, unforseen events arose this morning. Apparently the 'self defense' my brother was involved in wasn't cited as that and he was called into a hearing this morning by the council in his department and everyone who witnessed the altercation had to go and then after that had to go to the police station to give a statement, along with all the people who witnessed it, and by the time I got back I had to play mediator again :(

So split the double whammy. At some point this week, we'll get 1 double posting of OUAT, and 1 double posting of DW though :)

Some notes on reviews...

I'll definitely have to look up the song, thanks! :)

Neal will be a bit iffy about Piper at first, she's a bit like his father so he's suspicious of her, but I think he'll come around ;) But I can say August did meet Neal, but whether he told Piper about it or not will be something to wait for ;)


	4. A New Song

A New Song

Little Rose Red, barely 11 years old, stood on the balcony of her cousin, Snow White's castle, in the small guest room next to Snow's that she often occupied when she came to visit her cousin. She'd been with Snow, at her side, ever since her mother, Queen Eva, had died a few short years ago. She wasn't about to leave her now, especially not when, in 2 days time, Snow would have a new mother in a lovely woman called Regina. She shifted as she stood at the edge of the balcony, just barely tall enough to see over it and rest her arms and chin on it, and looked out into the dark of the night. Regina was 18 years old, that was only five years older than Snow was, she'd felt it would be better for Regina to be a sister than a mother to her cousin, but Snow was enamored with the woman, just adored her and could already see her as a mother figure. She didn't like it, but she couldn't bring herself to say it so plainly to Snow. SHE still had both her parents and poor Snow had lost one already. To say anything and risk upsetting her or causing the wedding to be put to a hold would upset her cousin even more to lose a second chance at having a mother.

She couldn't help but feel sorry for Regina, the woman tried to smile, but she could always tell that it was forced, that she seemed alone and afraid and unhappy. Her uncle Leopold always went on about how he wanted the people of his kingdom to be happy…yet he was making Regina unhappy in marrying her.

She could tell, because she could see a figure riding a dark horse away from the castle right that moment and could see it was Regina. She was trying to escape and a traitorous part of her hoped that Regina would manage it. It was such a clear sign she didn't want this to happen, that Regina was willing to run away in the middle of the night, and she just hoped whatever the woman decided to do would make her happy in the end.

She smiled softly, thinking about that, happy endings and true love and everything Regina had told Snow that Snow had told her. Her cousin was very poor at keeping secrets, she knew that, it was why she always ended up in trouble with the kitchen staff or the cleaning servants, Snow would always giggle and tell others about the tricks she'd pull on them and it would get back to her parents or uncle or the staff and she'd be reprimanded for it. But what Snow had told her about the things Regina said were lovely. She wasn't usually a fan of things as sappy as happy endings and true love, it was a nice story, but she had seen enough of the people around her to know that it only happened sometimes. Snow always saw everything as if people were good at heart, that they should have second and third and fourth chances and that not one would ever do something to hurt another person. SHE was more realistic, she had seen men fight, she'd seen women crying from being hurt, she'd seen little boys pushing girls around, she'd seen girls biting little boys. She saw many things when people thought she wasn't paying attention, the world was full of good people, yes, but it was also full of BAD people too. Snow seemed to think everyone was good, but she knew everyone could be both or even just be bad.

If…if true love and a happy ending DID exist for her though…well, that would be nice. But she wasn't going to spend the rest of her life pining and dreaming of it. She WAS only 11 and the thought of boys and kissing was just disgusting to her still. Besides, she was a princess, one day she'd be a queen whether or not she had a king or a prince at her side. She didn't need a boy to be a good ruler or a strong woman and any man that tried to woo her or whatever that was called would have to let her be. She saw how her mother had had to change, a little, compared to what she knew of Sirens, to be accepted at court. She saw how Regina would have to change too, to be queen. She knew Regina loved riding horses and wasn't very good at doing hair and things like that, but she'd have to stop because Queens didn't ride horses like Regina did and Queens, especially mothers, needed to do their hair properly.

It was weird and she didn't like it.

She'd want to marry someone who would just let her be who she was. Someone who made her better without actively trying to change her. Someone who just…made her want to be a better and stronger person without making her feel like she HAD to be that to keep their interest.

She let out a sigh and turned to go to her bed, it was late and tomorrow would be the day before the wedding and there would be A LOT to do. She didn't understand the point of weddings either, they were just a large spectacle, if two people loved each other, why did they need a ceremony and to prove it to other people with it?

Adults made no sense.

~8~

Rose sat across from Snow as the girl had her hair brushed by Regina the next morning. She was on a chair with a piece of cloth in her lap, a needle and thread in her hand as she tried to string it through the needle but kept failing…over and over and over. She didn't understand the point of embroidery or stitching either but it was apparently expected of proper young ladies. Snow and Regina were on the edge of Regina's bed, the woman's jewelry box sitting out in front of them but a little to the side on the bedside table. Rose eyed the soon-to-be queen as she brushed Snow's hair in a near methodical way, as though she were merely going through the motions instead of genuinely enjoying the bonding time.

She didn't understand why Regina was there, she'd seemed so keen to leave the castle just last night, the way she'd taken off on her horse into the night. She'd actually expected to wake up and see that Regina was gone and try to help a little with coming up with a story to keep her uncle from searching for her, maybe give her a head start. She felt like she (and probably Regina) were the only ones against this wedding happening. She didn't really know why she was so set against it, secretly though. It was probably largely to do with how unhappy Regina seemed to be even when she was smiling. Maybe it had a bit to do with the fact that she felt like her own mother was enough of a role-model for Snow that she shouldn't feel the need to need another mother in her life. Mostly it was just that, as Regina said about love, it was supposed to be true.

Her parents made it clear to her that, while they would expect (or at least hope) she would one day wed someone, that while they would give her suitors to pick from, if she didn't love them then they wouldn't force her to marry. It was the same for Snow as well. Their parents had both married for people they felt at least a bit of love for and had grown to love. They wanted their girls to experience something like that, true and deep love. Regina had only met the king days ago and on top of that her uncle Leopold had proposed the second he saw Regina. She'd heard him talking to his advisors about it, about how to reward the woman and when Snow asked him to ask Regina to be her new mother she'd heard him talking.

He was marrying Regina as a thank you and because he felt Snow needed a mother. He wasn't marrying her because he loved her, he was still very much in love with Eva she could tell. And that was wrong, the marriage wasn't needed. She knew a few kingdoms used marriage to act like a political thing, to make a treaty or create an alliance, but there was no reason for it here. Leopold wasn't at war with anyone, Snow would be a young woman in just a few years, Regina was too young, and it just felt SO wrong to her. Marriage should be about love and NOT a thank you and to force motherhood on someone.

"What do you think, Snow?" Regina asked and Rose looked up to see that, as her thoughts got away from her more and more, Regina had finished brushing Snow's hair and had done it up a little bit.

"It looks beautiful," Snow smiled as she looked in a mirror to see her hair.

"No, dear," Regina forced another smile, "You look beautiful."

"You are very pretty Snow," Rose added, "You as well Regina."

"Thank you dear," Regina gave her a more genuine smile for that. She noticed that if she and Snow gave her the same sort of compliment, that Regina was more genuine with her than Snow. She supposed maybe it had to do with the fact that Snow had told her secret to both her and Cora and Regina was a little upset about the broken promise as SHE hadn't said a word, but she wasn't sure.

She should be more genuine with Snow though, Snow was the one about to become her daughter.

"Do you need any help Rose?" Regina asked, nodding at the needle and thread she was still failing to string.

"No thank you," she tried to smile back though she was sure it came out as a grimace, "I'm…just not good at sewing stuff."

Regina gave a small laugh and leaned in as though telling her a secret, "Neither am I," she winked.

Snow's gaze drifted over to the jewelry box and she reached in to pick up a rather simple ring on a small gold chain, "What's this?"

"What?" Regina leaned back to her original sitting position, her expression falling when she saw the ring, Rose watching as she swallowed hard, "That's mine."

"Are you alright Regina?" Rose frowned, hearing Regina's voice waver.

"Yes," Regina cleared her throat, "I'm fine. Thank you dear."

Snow smiled and put the ring around her neck, looking at it dangling there, "It's pretty. Where did you get it?"

Rose tilted her head seeing Regina's expression fall even more, whatever that ring was and wherever she got it from, it was upsetting her very much to think on, she could see the tears in Regina's eyes as her gaze grew more distant. But then she could see a sort of anger, a bitterness, and a sorrow in Regina's eyes as they slowly drifted to Snow, the girl just sitting there smiling away as she examined the ring. Regina's hands clenched into fists beside her, her expression turning more heartbroken and dark, and so Rose hopped off her seat and walked over.

"You shouldn't wear other people's stuff Snow," she reached out to take the ring off from around Snow's neck, "It's rude," she stuck out her tongue too, trying to lighten the situation.

"It IS pretty though," Snow defended.

Rose nodded, "Was it a gift from your mother?" she asked Regina.

Regina shook her head from her thoughts and looked a bit frightened for a moment, "I don't remember," she sighed, "I can't remember who gave it to me," she told them, reaching out to gently take the ring back and placed it into her box.

Rose watched the gentle look in Regina's eyes as she looked at the ring, she knew she was lying. She didn't doubt that Regina remembered exactly who gave her that ring and why, but she didn't say that out loud. For some reason, Regina's expression just then reminded her of when Snow brought up Daniel the other day at Regina's dress fitting. Maybe he'd given her the ring and, if that was true, she understood the sad expression, Regina had lost him and that had to hurt.

~8~

Rose was sleeping in her bed, the night before the wedding, the entire day having worn her out quite a bit. There were messes of final fittings and help with the centerpieces that Snow volunteered them both for. She had to try on her shoes, make sure she knew the dances that would be played, and then they had to do an entire run through of the wedding to ensure that she knew what her role was. It wasn't all that hard, she threw flowers (of all things, ROSE petals) along the aisle before Regina would walk down it. The flower girl as others called her. She and Snow had been given options, one would be the flower girl and the other carry the rings. Snow had, of course, immediately jumped at the chance to hold the rings that would symbolize her new parents' union and then HAD to bring up that her cousin was the one with the flower name so it was fitting that Rose be the one to throw the flowers everywhere.

She was ok with it, it was a special day and she could put up with flower jokes and puns and digs at her name for the sake of her cousin. But it had been a very long and trying day and all she wanted to do was just sleep till the ceremony and get it over with. She'd done it brilliantly though, her plans going accordingly, being asleep moments after her head hit the pillow…

Until she found herself blinking awake.

It was odd, it wasn't a jump awake, like in a nightmare, it wasn't even a slow awakening. It was just…waking. She was asleep one moment and opening her eyes the next but without the shock of something startling her awake either. She frowned, blinking slightly as she tried to work out what had woken her before she slowly pushed herself to sit up. She looked towards her door, eyeing it a moment before tilting her head and closing her eyes, listening.

And then she heard it, a faint song, a new song. It was a rather interesting one too, a little too interesting as she found herself getting out of bed, slipping on her little slippers and a small robe before she headed for her doors. Leopold trusted everyone in his kingdom, or at least in the castle, so there weren't any guards outside her room at the moment, there were some posted at the end of the wing though as it was the royal wing. Only she, Snow, Leopold, and Regina had rooms in this wing, and only they were allowed to enter it. So why had she heard a new song? It shouldn't have been possible that someone was there or she would have heard it building up as they passed her room. She could hear things, the songs of people, of their souls, and this one had appeared suddenly, had been what woke her initially.

And now she was curious to see what it was and who it was. The song was very nice, too, made her feel a little tingly and warm as she followed it down the hall to a small staircase up to where Regina was dwelling. She was in one of the side towers of the castle, till she wed Leopold tomorrow. She knew that whoever was up there with her had to have magic, for the song to suddenly appear and to appear without any guards being alerted? It had to be magic. And that was interesting. She and Snow had snuck into Cora's rooms where she and her husband Henry were staying once or twice after they learned Daniel had disappeared and seen Cora doing magic. It always interested her, different types of magic, ever since she found out she had magic of her own, she wanted to know about others. She didn't want to learn how to use other magics, her songs were enough, but she was curious about the other forms of magic out there.

She could tell by how…old the song felt, having a sort of ancient quality to it, that the magic user up in Regina's rooms had to be very powerful and had their magic for a very long time.

She reached the top of the stairs, having gone up them slowly and quietly so as not to disturb Regina and made her way towards the doors at the end of the short hall, now able to hear voices, muffled though they were through the other side. She couldn't make out what was being said, but she could hear another voice in there with Regina's before they went silent.

"Eavesdropping is rude dearie," a voice said behind her, but she didn't gasp or spin around in shock, she'd heard the song fade from inside the room and sound louder behind her a moment before the voice had spoken.

She turned slowly though, eyeing the man before her. He was tall, thin, with wavy hair down to his shoulders and what looked like gold flecked skin, or really small scales of gold as skin. His eyes were wide and colored, almost unnatural and his grin revealed some rather bad teeth, but he was dressed like a lord, and seemed a little too gleeful to be a regular man.

"Who are you?" she asked instead, "And why did you come to Regina's room and nowhere else? If you can magic yourself here…"

"How do you know I didn't go stealing from the treasury?" he grinned, "I could be a thief in the night."

Rose blinked, "Because I heard your song HERE and not somewhere else."

The man blinked at her this time, "Heard my song?"

Rose nodded, "It's a nice song."

"Nice?" he scoffed, giggling at that, "I'm hardly nice dearie."

"Well you're not all that scary either," she countered, crossing her arms and looking up at him.

"I'm Rumpelstiltskin, dear," he smirked darkly, "I'm the Dark One."

"You're more glittery than dark."

Rumpelstiltskin blinked again and stared at her, "Glittery."

"And gold," she nodded, "I like that color."

"You like gold?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed, "I like the COLOR," she repeated, adults never listened.

"Why?" he tilted his head at her.

"Why do you like making gold?"

He grinned, "So you HAVE heard of me," he eyed her, "And yet you're not scared of me?"

"No."

"Really?" he gave her an incredulous look at that, he'd met grown men who cowered at his presence.

"I know what I'm scared of and it's not funny looking men."

He nearly scoffed at the 'funny looking' remark but inquired instead, "Is that so?"

"Are you here to hurt Snow White?" she blinked up at him.

"No," he frowned, not sure what that had to do with anything.

"Then why would I be afraid of you?"

"Because I'm dangerous?" he supplied, "I could easily snap your neck dearie."

"You haven't hurt me yet," she reasoned.

"But I could."

"But you haven't."

"But I_ could_."

"So do it."

His jaw nearly dropped open at the challenge in her voice, but he saw a small smirk on her face like she knew she won, like she knew he wouldn't, "You are…an interesting little girl."

Rose shifted at that, "People say that a lot."

He frowned slightly, "You don't agree?"

"It's the WAY they say it," she glanced at him, "In a bad way."

He nodded slowly at that, he'd gotten many a 'compliment' in his life that was more an insult, "That must make you angry."

"No," she shrugged, "It doesn't bother me so much anymore."

"And why's that?" he eyed her.

"Cos one day they'll stop."

"And how do you know that?"

"I'll _make_ them stop."

He straightened at that, the tone of her voice, there was an edge in it he wasn't expecting from what looked like a ten year old girl. There was a hint of darkness in her already, a hint that shouldn't have been in one that should be more innocent. It was intriguing to see, "Oh will you?" she nodded, "And how do you plan to do that?"

"That's for me to know and them to find out," she lifted her chin with a smirk.

"I like you dearie," he remarked, "You've quite a future ahead of you with a mind like that," he looked at her a moment longer, "There's a power in you too," he considered his words, considered her, examining her as though sizing up her potential, "You said my…song was nice?"

She nodded, "It makes me feel warm," she told him, a small smile on her face, "I like it. It's pretty."

He nearly laughed at that, the thought of him and 'pretty' in the same sentence was not something he heard every day, "Well then," he gave an extravagant bow, "Pleased to be of service," she gave a tiny curtsy back before yawning, "It seems to me you'd best get back to bed. It appears you and the queen-to-be shall have a busy day ahead of you."

Rose nodded, "Will you be at the wedding too?" she asked, thinking perhaps he was a friend of Regina's.

"Oh I wouldn't miss it for the world," he grinned, watching as the little girl smiled at that and walked back down the stairs as though it were an everyday occurrence to have a conversation with the Dark One and live to tell the tale.

Yes, interesting indeed.

~8~

The wedding had been just lovely, truly an exquisite affair for all the royals of the kingdom to attend, it was just a joy to be there. The kingdom had gotten to see a lovely new queen crowned, their king wed, their princess receive another mother. They had seen the start of a new era in a fantastically beautiful ceremony. It had given them all so much hope that, if their king could find love again, then so could they all find love too. It had given them hope that their kingdom would continue to flourish and their princess would grow, with guidance, into a magnificent Queen.

Rose Red stood to the side of the banquet hall, watching as Leopold sat at a long table, Regina beside him on his right, Snow on his left, an empty space beside Snow where she was sitting but she'd gone to get a small bun off a table on the other side of the room, or that's what she told Snow. Really it was that she could hear it, the song, Rumpelstiltskin's song and she knew he was there, just as he'd mentioned he would be. She had something she wanted to ask him, something odd she'd noticed about the wedding that no one had really commented on after Regina said the woman was ill but that didn't sit right with her. Cora, from all she knew, had been the biggest supporter of this marriage from the start. She struck her as a woman that would be there even on her deathbed to see Regina get married.

But she'd been mysteriously absent.

"Did you make it so Cora was gone?" she asked seemingly thin air as she stood there, making it look like she was taking a moment to observe the dancing going on before her, only to look to the side and see the man standing there next to her, appearing out of nowhere.

"What makes you think she's dead dearie?" the man grinned.

"I said gone," she frowned at him, "Is there gold in your ears because you don't listen well."

He should have been offended by that, should have struck her, cursed her, used magic or something as it wouldn't have mattered to him that she was a child, he'd done worse to other children in the past, but he found himself giggling at that, "You did indeed," he agreed though he said nothing about the second half of her statement.

"I heard Cora's song stop," she shrugged, looking back at the crowd, "Mother said that if it stops suddenly it means someone's either very far away and were sent there with magic or they're dead. There was no body…"

Rumpelstiltskin eyed her for that, the girl spoke of death and bodies as though she were talking about the weather, such a curious little girl, "Cora has been sent somewhere she can't control Regina's life any longer," he left it at that.

Rose nodded, "Where did she go?"

"Another realm."

"Which one?"

"Why do you ask?" he glanced at her, "Wish to launch a rescue party?"

"No," Rose said simply, "I want to keep Snow away from her."

"And why's that?"

"Cora's song has a note missing," Rose stated, "Her…heart is gone," she glanced at Regina, "I don't think people without hearts are good people. Snow shouldn't be around people like that."

"Keen observation dearie," he looked at her, impressed.

Rose just glanced up at him, "You helped free Regina?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

He blinked and, of a single moment he felt…guilt, he actually felt a genuine guilt over what he'd done. He knew Cora, he had gotten her to this point, he knew what Regina's role would be in the grand scheme of things to come, he was already plotting how he could control her life, mould her into the monster he needed her to be to do what he needed of her. Cora had been in the way, with HER controlling Regina's life there would have been no room for him to whisper in her ear and guide her. But now…now that Cora was gone, banished through a looking glass he'd given Regina by Regina herself, and now that he'd convinced Regina to stay and wed Leopold, he could do it. He could shape the woman into what he needed, keep her as broken as her mother had made her all for his plans to take hold.

And this little girl, completely unaware of his plans for the woman, of the evils Regina was sure to do, had just thanked him for helping her.

"Don't thank me yet dearie," he murmured in that moment of weakness.

Rose just shrugged and looked back at the party, before leaving his side without another word and heading to her cousin's side once more.

Rumpelstiltskin remained standing there though, looking at her from across the room. That little girl…he could tell there was something odd about her, something different. It went beyond her just being half-Siren, oh he knew all about the girl's bloodline and lineage. He had done his research about this family, he knew about her mother and father, her cousin. She reminded him slightly of the Sirens of the Sea he'd dealt with in the past, but only slightly, she was far warmer than them, though she appeared less scared of him, less startled by his presence. She knew who he was, what he'd done, the stories about him and she'd just carried on a conversation like it was nothing.

He knew it was a common trait among Sirens, they had a difficult time 'caring' in general about anyone outside their families, but that was unique to him, especially considering she was half human too. Still, that girl was interesting to observe. He could admit she'd piqued his interest with her comments and how she reacted to him, she seemed to be not repulsed by his skin, something a little offputting to others, and had no care for the dark deeds he'd done. It was a rare occurence to find a child like that, most ran screaming or froze in fear around him.

He tilted his head as he watched her interact with her cousin, the girl smiling and acting like a normal child, quite different to the persona she'd had around him only minutes ago. He was tempted, for a moment, to look into the future, into HER future, as was his ability, and see what the future might hold for the girl. He could tell she would become something unique but what? He could take a peek, he could sneak a glance, see for himself what she'd become.

But then he grinned and giggled and shook his head, no…that girl was a little too interesting to ruin the surprise. He'd rather see what came of all this, what would become of her, and be surprised for once. Besides, he had to focus on his newest pupil, Regina, and if he knew what Rose Red would become he might find his attention focusing on her instead and he knew in his dark heart it had to be Regina to cast the curse he'd created, she was the one.

As he'd thought before, Sirens were difficult creatures to find a care for someone, it would make it hard for her to cast the curse when she grew older, but Regina…she could do it. Yes…he'd much rather wait and see if his and Rose Red's paths might cross again one day and he was slightly surprised to find he was genuinely hoping they would.

She truly was quite the interesting little girl.

A/N: Hmm...seems the Dark Rose first meeting happened earlier than we thought }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Yup, he's a fireman, and the same brother that wouldn't give up the racecar too -sigh- I've sort of come to just expect some sort of fight around any sort of holiday at this point :(


	5. Lady of the Lake

Lady of the Lake

"What the hell was that for?!" Emma gaped at Piper, looking between her and the woman lying on the ground now unconscious.

"Trust me, Emma," Piper muttered, not bothering to try and tie the woman up, she knew Cora, she knew how deadly she could be, especially if she had magic. That was ALL she had to her name, she was rubbish at a physical fight, the woman relied too heavily on her magic and that would be her downfall.

She had learned that lesson the hard way, to rely too much on her music would mean she'd be vulnerable if ever it failed her. In the Enchanted Forest she had no issues with that, music came from all around her, from within her, so long as she was conscious even if her tongue was cut out she could still fashion some sort of melody to help her. But when she'd been in the real world, her magic was weaker, she'd had to learn how to protect herself physically...not that she really needed to learn, that was more for a refresher and to learn the ways of that world's fighting. Her father, along with Snow's, had made sure that their daughters were trained in use of a sword at the very least. They both knew that no matter how good the guard was, their daughters would need to know how to protect themselves beyond that. And Rumpelstiltskin had taught her a few tricks as well, she hadn't really been interested in learning other forms of magic, but a trick or two from him...well, how could she say no?

That wasn't something Cora ever felt the need to downgrade herself to do. Her knights were impeccable, her magic strong, and even when she'd been banished to Wonderland through a looking glass Rumpelstiltskin had given Regina, she'd heard reports of how the Queen of Hearts merely cut people's heads off first. But that was how Cora operated, others fought for her, if she was knocked out then she wasn't a threat any longer. She would keep a close eye on the woman and the moment she stirred, she'd have no qualms with knocking her out again.

"It is best if she remains incapacitated," Piper finished.

"Who the hell is she then?" Emma shook her head, Piper seemed to know the woman and if PIPER of all people, (Gold anyone?) thought this woman was dangerous enough to need to be taken down quickly, she'd trust her, but she wanted information.

"Cora," Piper turned to Mary Margaret, leaning over to tend to her wound on her head.

"Yeah, I got that, thanks," Emma rolled her eyes.

"Regina's mother," she glanced up at Emma, "Believe me Emma, I have known both women and Regina..." she shook her head, "She is far kinder than Cora will ever be."

"Regina? Kind?"

Piper nodded, "Regina still has her heart."

Emma blinked at that and looked at Cora lying on the ground, "She took out her own heart?"

"Before Regina was even born," Piper nodded absently, "Imagine it Emma, living more than half a century without your heart. Imagine what that makes you."

Emma didn't need to imagine, a monster, she was sure of it. If Piper thought Regina was kind compared to Cora, knowing all that Regina had done, with how much Piper seemed to hate the woman...Cora had to be exceptionally dangerous.

"Is um...is she going to be ok?" Emma shook her, turning to look at Mary Margaret instead.

"Yes," Piper smiled a bit, before she stood up, "Snow has an incredibly thick skull."

Emma stared at her a moment before her lips quirked up, not sure if Piper was being serious or trying to joke and lighten the situation, "Any ideas what is this place might be?"

"I would assume a refugee camp," Piper sighed, looking at the wall. The ladder that had been there, a sort of rope ladder, had been pulled back up the moment they were all down there.

"The Enchanted Forest has refugees?"

"Not in the sense you are thinking," Piper glanced at her, "This is what has become of the Forest since the curse was cast, the people there, are fighting to survive without their nobles ruling and the armies to defend the land."

"Well, they've got their nobles back, or one of them," Emma muttered, sighing and putting her hands on her hips, "They can't keep us down here. We didn't do anything wrong."

"That would be a matter of opinion."

"What?" Emma gaped at her.

"It would depend on who is up there and what loyalties they hold," Piper explained, "Should we find someone sympathetic to Regina, Snow is very much in the wrong. If it is someone loyal to Snow, then no we have done no wrong. If, however, they are people who have reached the end of how much they can suffer, even if they were loyal to Snow, they may feel like it was her fault, that she drove Regina to cast the curse and subject them to this misery. One cannot be sure till one has spoken to others."

Emma stared at her a moment, "You sounded like a queen just then."

"I am a queen," Piper sighed, "I would have been...had Regina not attacked my kingdom and burned it to the ground."

"I'm sorry," Emma swallowed awkwardly.

"Snow and I were raised from the time we came of age to rule," Piper offered instead, "We were taught to think of the grand picture, to think like the enemy or at least try to empathize and learn what to expect from them. Snow..." she sighed, "Is a bit more optimistic than I am."

"You're a realist," Emma nodded, she knew that right off the bat.

"I endeavor to be," Piper agreed.

Emma sighed, shifting, "Any chance them above might be loyal to Snow and help us get back home? I just got Henry back and..."

"We shall get back to your son Emma," Piper promised, "There are many a portal between the worlds, the curse merely sealed them. But now that it is broken..."

"There's a chance," Emma breathed, thankful for that.

"One need only know where to look," Piper smiled, her grin growing soft, "And I had a rather remarkable teacher who knew where many portals can be found."

"Gold?" Emma guessed, not thinking the kings of this world would concern themselves with portals or teach their daughters about them.

Piper merely hummed in agreement, before she crouched down, seeing Mary Margaret starting to stir, "Frosty?"

Mary Margaret groaned, "I told you to stop calling me that Rosie."

"Stop with the Rosie nonsense and I may yet listen," Piper joked, smiling as she reached out a hand to help Mary Margaret sit up.

Mary Margaret stiffened though when she saw who was lying on the ground only a few feet away, "Cora!" she gasped, nearly jumping to her feet and scrambling back to block Emma, as though she were protecting her.

"Fear not Snow," Piper smiled, "I took care of her."

Mary Margaret looked from the fallen woman to a rock just near her head and back to her cousin, "You hit her with a rock?!" she hissed quickly, fearing to be louder would be waking her.

"Yes," Piper said simply.

"Why would you do that?! You know how she retaliates and..."

"And it was either take a rock to her head or watch her lay a hand on you," Piper cut in, an edge to her voice, "I was not about to risk her using her magic on you, god knows what she would have done. I was protecting you Snow."

"I don't need you to protect me Rose," Mary Margaret looked at her, a small frown on her face, "I survived well enough on my own."

"You were never on your own and you know it Snow," Piper said quietly and Emma quickly stepped between the arguing cousins, hearing a note in Piper's voice that made her react. It was a note of someone saying that THEY had been alone while the other was most certainly not.

"Ok, ok, look," Emma stepped between them, "If that's Regina's mother...then it's a good thing she's out right now, ok?" she glanced between them, "Right now we have to work out a way back to Storybrooke and..."

"Enough!" a voice broke in from above them as the hatch was opened and the rope ladder thrown down again, "Our leader requests an audience."

The three women glanced at each other a moment before they headed for the ladder, Mary Margaret going up first, then Emma, then Piper, the guards forcing them into a small group before nudging them on, another guard in the lead through the small camp.

"Did you really have to knock her out Rose?" Mary Margaret sighed.

"Trust me Snow," Piper muttered, "I would not have her near you or Emma if I could help it, and I could."

"We could've handled her together," Mary Margaret tried, "We both know this world, the dangers in it..."

"Wait," Emma frowned, "Is that why you came through the portal?" she glanced between them, "Why you tried to pull me out? Because you thought I'd be helpless here?"

"Well I did it because you are family and I would rather none of us fall into a portal created by shoddy magic," Piper said dryly.

Mary Margaret just shook her head, "I came through to be with you," she told Emma earnestly, "I couldn't leave you Emma. Just because there are other dangers here, that wasn't the reason I went after you. I wanted to be with you and protect you...and it's a good thing I did because Cora is dangerous."

"Not quite as much as she once was though," Piper mused, "I handled her just fine on my own."

"You hit her with a rock!" Mary Margaret reminded her.

"And I could have done far worse!" Piper huffed, stopping as Mary Margaret looked at her, well, stopping as the guards stopped them, a handful going ahead to get their leader, "_I_ can handle her Snow, better than you can."

"Oh really?" Mary Margaret crossed her arms, trying to look challenging.

It was just...so disconcerting to see Rose Red, her baby cousin, older than her, appearing stronger and wiser and more in control of herself. It was just...so different! The last time she'd seen her cousin alive had been when she was 18 and now the woman appeared nearly 40, that was a little more than 10 years older than she herself appeared. She wasn't used to this, she wasn't used to being the one taking orders from her as though she were a child, she wasn't used to her cousin standing on her own in such a formidable way. Oh she was THRILLED her cousin was alive, was stronger, was more confident, but it was still a shock.

And she was still inwardly fuming secretly that Rose Red had been alive all that time and she hadn't bothered to say. She could still remember it, standing at the small grave she'd had made for her cousin once they took back the kingdom. She could still remember the word from the Huntsman that Rose Red had perished in the fall of her kingdom. She could still feel the heartbreak and loss and sorrow when she told Rumpelstiltskin that the baby's name would be Emma, the name Rose had always wanted for a child of her own, because she thought she was dead. She knew she had so much to resolve with her daughter, but equally she had far too much to resolve with her cousin as well it seemed.

"Yes," Piper said bluntly, before sighing, "Snow...all those stories you heard about the Pied Piper? They were not just stories. They were warnings to others of what I can do and what I would do."

Emma frowned as she saw Mary Margaret shift at that, something she'd noticed Piper did as well when she was uncomfortable, "What stories?" she glanced between them, "Is this about the rats?"

"Rats?" both women looked at her.

"Yeah in that...that town?" she struggled to recall the details, "You got rid of the rats but they wouldn't pay you so you took the kids instead? Right? That's the story?"

"Oh Emma," Piper shook her head, "It is not that I took the children, it is what I did AFTER I returned them that spooks people. And that...is only ONE story of many others."

Mary Margaret closed her eyes and looked away at that, it was one thing to think some person called the Pied Piper had done those deeds...it was quite another to realize that same person was someone as dear to you as a sister. The acts the Piper had done...not once had it ever crossed her mind that that woman was her cousin, because Rose...she couldn't reconcile the girl she knew Rose to be with the woman the Piper was. She knew what Sirens of the Sea could be like, but she'd always thought that her cousin being half human would temper that. She would be lying to admit she never once hoped that her cousin had somehow survived the kingdom's fall, but not once did she truly think she could be the Pied Piper despite the fact that both women favored the use of a pipe. It was just...the Piper, the things she did, were so different from Rose that it was jarring for her to even think they were the same person despite seeing it in front of her eyes.

"Like wh..." Emma began to speak, but the leader arrived, a large black man in a light suit of armor.

"Lancelot?!" Mary Margaret gaped at him, her eyes widening in hope and relief and joy.

"Snow?" the man breathed, before Mary Margaret rushed over to hug him.

Emma was slightly confused as to who the man was (beyond possibly being from the knights of the round table and all) and turned to Piper to ask...only to see the woman's jaw tense, eyes narrowed, hands in fists as she nearly glared at Lancelot.

"I take it you know him?" Emma asked the woman quietly.

Piper closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Everyone has a song about their soul Emma," she murmured, "I can hear it," she nodded, opening her eyes and trying to appear calmer, "Yes, I know this song."

She knew it well. And she also knew, for that person to be there in that form...they had to have another motive. They needed Snow White to trust them, they wanted something from her. She would have to wait and see what it was, see if they were desperate enough to get it. Her time with Rumpelstiltskin had taught her what lengths desperate souls would go to, and if this person wanted something as badly as she assumed they did...they would go so far as HELPING the three of them get there first...and then she was sure they'd be in for a surprise when they realized she KNEW who it was.

She could already feel the magic trying to hide the song from her, but nothing was that powerful to her ears.

"If I had known that you were the prisoners Mulan had brought back, I never would have locked you away," Lancelot pulled away, "Please, forgive me."

"Of course," Mary Margaret smiled.

Piper rolled her eyes at that, something Emma spotted and had to agree with, it seemed they'd both learned over their lives not to forgive anyone so easily.

"Lancelot?" Emma scoffed, eyeing the man, "Really?"

"He's an old friend," Mary Margaret smiled, "We can trust him," she added to Piper.

"For the moment," Piper agreed, making Mary Margaret frown at what she perceived as a lack of trust in HER opinion.

"Come, please," Lancelot led them over to a table, "You must be hungry," he sat them down and quickly put a plate of rather odd looking meat on the table.

"What the hell is that?" Emma tried not to grimace.

Piper eyed it critically, "Chimera," she answered, "One part lion, serpent, and goat."

Emma blinked, "Like turducken?"

"Something of the sort. It takes one a while longer to get used to the taste though."

"You've eaten Chimera before?" Mary Margaret didn't seem to know if she was curious or revolted at the thought.

"Rummy was quite an eccentric host," Piper shrugged.

"Alas, it is all our hunting party could bring back," Lancelot sighed.

"I don't understand," Mary Margaret shook her head, looking at Lancelot, "We were told this land didn't even exist anymore. How did you all escape the curse?"

"It is a mystery," Lancelot sighed, "The curse struck and when the smoke cleared, most of us had been torn from this land. But some of us here, in this particular region, were left behind. We don't know how, and we don't know why."

"It is not that much of a mystery," Piper cut in, taking a bit of chimera and eating it, ignoring Emma's disgusted face, "Rummy did it."

"Rummy?" Lancelot frowned.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Mary Margaret blinked.

"Yes," Piper nodded, "He created the curse, he put a number of failsafes into it. He wanted this land to endure so that, when the curse was broken and he found Baelfire again, he could return here with his son. He always intended for everyone to return here, what would be the point in destroying it?"

"Then how are THEY still here?" Emma shook her head, "Why didn't they come through with the curse?"

Piper gave her a look as though it should be obvious, "You do realize Cora is lying in a hole in the ground yes?" she countered, choosing her words carefully before Lancelot, needing him to believe she thought Cora was truly down in that hole, "She is quite powerful."

"I don't believe it was her," Lancelot shook his head, though Piper could see him stiffen slightly, "The curse stripped her of her powers."

"Perhaps afterwards," Piper continued to argue, "She was the only magic user in the Enchanted Forest that would be powerful enough to cast a protective barrier like the one that saved everyone here from being swept away."

"Maybe the protective barrier was too much for her," Mary Margaret ventured a guess, "It took too much magic and her power was depleted."

"It could be," Lancelot agreed, "But, given her reputation, we kept her locked up as a precaution. Finding even this safe haven wasn't easy either. Took some spilled blood. But worry not. You're safe here."

"We can't stay. My husband's back there, Emma's son, my grandson, and um...Rose's true love apparently," she shook her head, she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that her baby cousin's true love was Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One, "We have to get back to them. Can you help us find a portal?"

"No," Lancelot shook his head sadly, "Leaving is unwise. The Enchanted Forest is not as you remember it. The ogres have returned."

"Because we were not aware of that possibility?" Piper scoffed, "Hardly."

"Ogres?" Emma blinked, "Like, as in fee-fi-fo-fum?"

"Giants."

"Ogres are far worse," Lancelot agreed, "And that's why we live here. On this island, where it's safe. Please, Snow," he looked to Mary Margaret, "Stay here. There are no more portals left."

"Oh please," Piper rolled her eyes, "There are more portals in this realm than you could know what to do with. As I said before, one need only know where to look."

Mary Margaret started to smile, "And I might know of one."

"You do?" Emma raised an eyebrow at that, she knew Piper apparently knew where a few were, but she didn't realize Mary Margaret did too.

"Where?" Lancelot turned to her.

"We should not say," Piper gave Mary Margaret a warning look, knowing that no matter how much time had passed her cousin would still understand not to give away too much.

Mary Margaret nodded, "Cora's near. I don't feel comfortable voicing my plans. Just...trust me," she looked at Lancelot, "I may have a way. Let us go?"

Lancelot sighed but nodded as well, "I'll allow it. But on one condition, take my bravest warrior with you. Allow Mulan to defend you," he turned and called the woman over.

"We can defend ourselves," Emma huffed.

But Mary Margaret just smiled, "Deal. Thank you, Lancelot. For always looking out for me."

"See," Piper murmured, "_You _were never on your own Snow."

Mary Margaret glanced over at Piper, a small frown starting to form on her face at that. Piper had said it before, implied something, but now it was clearer her meaning. She truly had had people around her to help her, even right after she ran off she'd had Red, Red Riding Hood's, help, her and Granny and then the Dwarves and then Charming and Lancelot and so many others. It made her wonder...

Who had her cousin had?

~8~

After they had eaten, Mulan took the trio of women to a small table full of weapons to choose from, a miniature arsenal it seemed, "Choose wisely," the girl warned, "We must be vigilant if we hope to survive the journey."

Emma looked at the items as Mary Margaret merely chose a sword to strap to her waist, "Where's my gun? I want it back."

Mulan pulled the gun out of her pocket and looked at it before handing it to Emma, "Is it magic?"

"Depends on who's pulling the trigger," Emma muttered, affixing the gun to her waist while Mary Margaret selected another weapon, a bow and arrow as a second weapon.

"What about you?" Mulan turned to Piper who was just standing there with her arms crossed.

"I have my weapons," she murmured, pulling her pipe out of her boot.

Mulan blinked, "A...pipe?" before she shook her head, "That is not a weapon."

"In your hands perhaps."

Mulan reached out and snatched the pipe from her, "And if someone were to take it from you?"

Piper raised an eyebrow at that, something Mary Margaret spotted, "Oh, Rosie, don't..." but it was too late.

Piper lifted two fingers to her mouth and let out a shrill whistle, the shrillest anyone had ever heard, the noise seeming to echo and reverberate within their own heads, growing sharper to the point where they were forced to cover their ears, the noise spreading so far as to force the entire camp to hunch over in pain, gripping their ears to shut out the sound. Piper stopped and removed her fingers, staring at them a moment.

"Well that is new," she murmured, it appeared her efforts to strengthen her magic while it had still been weak in the other world had indeed strengthened her magic quite a bit in the Enchanted Forest. But she looked up at Mulan and held out her hand, "So long as I am conscious, I have all the weapon I need."

Mulan swallowed hard, her ears still ringing, her head throbbing from the noise as she handed the pipe back to Piper, "I see."

"And even if that should fail me, perhaps a deaf adversary," Piper mused, tracing a finger down the pipe a moment, thankful Mulan hadn't snapped it like so many others had done, "I do have a dagger on me as well," she nodded at her other boot though they couldn't even see the hilt of the dagger in it it was quite well hidden.

Mulan nodded at that and looked at the three women, "Follow my lead. Step where I step. Do exactly as I say, and you might survive."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Emma rolled her eyes, "But I think we're ok. I just killed a dragon last week."

Piper smirked at that, Gold had told her that he'd gotten Prince Charming to hide their true love in Maleficent's neck, the woman brought over to Storybrooke in her dragon form and kept beneath the library. She rather wished she'd been able to go with Emma on that quest, she had a bone to pick with the woman as well for helping Regina in her quest for revenge.

"Have you ever seen an ogre?" Mulan deadpanned to Emma.

"Pretty sure I've dated a few."

"Legend has it, that when they kill you, the last thing you see is yourself dying in the reflection in their eyes," she let that sink in a moment before she turned to stalk off, "Let's walk. It'll be dark soon."

"Don't let her rattle you," Mary Margaret tried to reassure Emma as they moved, "Rose and I won't let anything happen to us. Stick to the plan."

"What is the plan?" Emma whispered back, "You haven't told me anything. What's going on?"

"I do believe my dear cousin wishes to attempt use of the wardrobe," Piper mused as Mary Margaret smiled at that, pleased that they were still close enough where they could guess what the other was thinking or planning.

"The wardrobe?" Emma stared, "_The_ wardrobe? Like, the wardrobe that sent little baby me to Maine? You think that can get us back to Storybrooke?"

"Well, at worst, it would get us to the tree a short distance out of the town lines," Piper remarked, frowning, "Hopefully it would have no adverse affects on Snow for being outside the town lines. According to Henry, bad things happen should someone affected by the curse try to cross it."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Mary Margaret waved it off, "First, we have to see if it survived the curse, then we'll worry about making it work, and then we'll worry about what might happen to me if we do use it."

Emma shook her head but sighed, "Where is it?"

"My palace," Mary Margaret smiled, glancing at her daughter, "Want to see where you're from, Emma?" Emma blinked and stared at her, "That's right. We're going home."

"_Your_ home," Piper corrected, near instantly, making Mary Margaret pause.

"It was your home too Rose," the woman breathed, a note of hurt in her voice, a hurt of family not seeing home as _home_ anymore.

"For a time," Piper agreed, "But it is no more," she glanced at Mary Margaret, "I do believe there is another castle out there that is my home."

"The Dark One's castle?" Mary Margaret shook her head, still not quite grasping that the Dark One, of all people, was even capable of having a true love.

"Yes," Piper nodded, "But more so...Rummy himself," she smiled in thought of that, "Home is where the heart is, is it not?"

Mary Margaret just looked at her, still quite sad to think her cousin didn't consider her castle a home any longer, that she preferred the Dark One over her own family.

What had happened to her?

~8~

They had journeyed as far as they could till the sun set and they reached a clearing in the forest, "This will do," Mulan determined, "We'll make camp here for the night. We just need to find water, collect some firewood."

"Uh, if we're hiding from ogres, shouldn't we maybe, I don't know, not start a fire?" Emma frowned.

"Ogres are blind," Piper stated, "Like a snake uses scent, they use sound to hunt their prey."

"Right. Because that's something everyone would know about ogres."

"Look," Mary Margaret glanced at her, "I know you're out of your element…"

"I'm fine," Emma said defensively.

"I know. But, maybe you should just stay here while we get wood and water. Guard the campsite?"

"You mean the big, empty clearing?" Emma gave her a look.

"It's the safest place. We'll be right back."

"I shall stay with you Emma," Piper offered, moving to lean against a tree, putting her feet up on a rock near it, "If that is agreeable."

Mary Margaret smiled, "Thank you Rose."

Piper merely nodded and took out her pipe from her boot, absently cleaning it while Mary Margaret and Mulan scouted out.

"Let me guess, you're babysitting me?" Emma huffed, dropping down on the ground against a tree across from Piper.

"Hardly," Piper scoffed, "You are a grown woman Emma, one realm or another you are more than capable of handling what is out there," she looked at her pipe with a small sigh, "Life often makes us stronger than we know in ways we wish not to be," she murmured.

Emma eyed her, "You were alone," she guessed, "Snow White had allies...you didn't."

"Not for many years," Piper agreed, "You learn lessons better when it is just you to blame for them," she glanced at Emma, "You know this well."

"Yeah," Emma nodded.

"And that is why this is not babysitting," Piper told her, "Snow may see you as her baby, for that was the last she saw of you till now. I have my memories Emma, I have the knowledge that as August grew older, you were as well. I have the prominent memories of seeing you handle yourself around Storybrooke. I have seen you and known you as an adult," she tilted her head at Emma, "Give her time and she shall see it as well."

"I'm trying," Emma murmured.

"That is all she would ask of you," Piper nodded.

They were quite for a few more moments, when Emma opened her mouth, about to ask just what sort of lessons Piper had learned and how...when there was the sound of shouting through the trees, "Don't talk to her like that!" Mulan was shouting.

"She tried to kill me!" Mary Margaret's voice echoed and the two women were up and running towards the voices.

"I will deal with her," Mulan began, her sword in her hand.

Emma quickly pulled out her gun and fired a warning shot into the air, all she saw was Mulan with her sword and Aurora with her dagger and Mary Margaret with nothing and had to stop it. She lowered the gun and aimed it at Mulan and the princess.

"Emma, what are you doing?!" Mary Margaret gasped as Piper winced, knowing what that was about.

"Protecting you," Emma eyed the two other women, "Drop the weapon."

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

They fell quiet, hearing a growling sound drawing nearer.

Emma closed her eyes for a moment, realizing that if a creature hunted by sound and she'd just fired off a rather loud one, just what would be coming, "Ogres?"

"Run!" Mary Margaret shouted, taking off into the forest with the others as the ogre ran after them, "Split up!"

"No, stop!" Piper cried.

"Come on!" Mulan tried to pull Aurora off as Mary Margaret and Emma headed another.

"Rose, over here!" Mary Margaret screamed seeing Piper merely backing up, pulling out her pipe as the ogre caught up to them.

Piper just lifted her pipe to her lips and let out a high pitched note, making the ogre stumble and turn to her, waiting till it had fallen to its knees before she shifted the melody to a softer one, the ogre not getting up but seeming to relax, seeming to sway, before it fell to the ground face first.

Piper smirked and put her pipe into her boot once more, she really would have to practice more, that should NOT have happened as quickly as it had, a lullaby to put something to sleep. Ogres were blind, yes, they hunted by sound, but equally by smell. They were very brutal and, if they caught a whiff of ogre blood it drove them into a murderous rampage after the thing that killed it. Now though...it was just asleep, a deep sleep that would allow them to escape easily.

"Rose..." Mary Margaret breathed, rushing over to hug her tightly, "What were you thinking!?"

"It hunts by sound," Piper said simply, "Means it is quite easy to use my power against it, they, of all creatures, are more susceptible."

"You could have just let me shoot it in the eye," she glanced at Emma as the stunned blonde woman walked over, "That's how you kill ogres."

"And when was the last time you shot an arrow?" Emma scoffed, trying to play off how shaken she was that she'd caused this.

"28 years ago."

"Which is why it was best if I handled this," Piper added, "I have been practicing my music for 28 years while you were cursed," she tilted her head at the ogre, "And if they truly are back, they are back in packs, ogre blood would have just made us targets for the others."

Mary Margaret closed her eyes, realizing that as well, and glanced at Emma, the woman staring at the ogre, "Next time, Emma, listen to us. That kind of thing isn't going to work here."

"Yeah…" Emma breathed, staring at the ogre still, it had been HER blast that had drawn it to them.

"Though, you could have shot it through the eye as well," Piper tried to lessen the guilt.

"We should get going," Mary Margaret sighed, turning around to get her bearings before leading them off.

~8~

They had rejoined with Aurora and Mulan fairly quickly, the two having backtracked when they heard the ogre fall, and had continued on their way to the get to the castle but now...now they were finally there. They'd seen it in the distance, but now they were walking through the gates of it, just staring up at it. It seemed to have fallen into disuse and a bit decrepit over the years. It seemed like one area of the land had been literally frozen in time while the area around it moved on with time. 28 years without anyone to care for it would make a castle look like this they knew.

"Beware," Mulan warned, "There may yet be magic lingering around from the curse."

"Hold on," Emma stopped short, staring at something in the middle of the courtyard, "Is that...blood?" she pointed ahead to the ground of the courtyard where there was a patch of darkness.

"It could be," Piper agreed, "Regina's knights were ordered to slaughter all those who fought back. But..." she stepped nearer, walking around it before smiling, "That is not what this is."

"Then what is it?" Aurora asked as Piper knelt down at the edge of the dark patch.

"My cloak," she breathed, reaching out to touch the edge of the darkness lightly, the others nearly jerking back in surprise when the patch started to move, "Still here, after all this time," she reached out and grabbed her hand around the edges of the darkness before she stood, pulling it up with her, revealing it to settle to be a black cloak. She clutched it to her, her eyes closing as she just held it, taking a single moment to savor the fact that in all this destruction, one thing from her past had remained.

She'd woken up in the other realm without the cloak and thought it destroyed, but there it was, it was still there.

"I was here when the curse hit," she glanced at Mary Margaret, "I had to see Rummy, to warn him, he told me to run, and I did. Only made it as far as here though," she looked at the cloak, "I thought I had lost this."

"You have a cloak made of shadows?" Mary Margaret blinked at it.

Piper smiled, "Rummy made it for me," she nodded, "I was caught once, locked away, but he came for me," she informed her, "He came when I called and he gave me the cloak to help protect me, to blend into the shadows so no one would see me," she looked up at Mary Margaret, "I was there at the docks when you came for the forgetting potion Snow," her smiled turned sad and wistful, "You did not see me then, did you?"

"You were there?" Mary Margaret stared at her, "Why didn't you say something? Why didn't you ever let me know you were alive Rose!?"

Piper sighed, draping the cloak over her arm, "It is a long story Snow, and we have not the time right now," she glanced at the castle, "I shall tell you soon though, but when there is a moment to spare."

Mary Margaret seemed about to argue but let out a breath, that was something that would always be the same for her cousin, she didn't talk till she was ready to and...she was right, Cora was still out there somewhere, powerless or not, she was still a threat and they needed to get somewhere where Cora wasn't. As much as she was loath to admit it, the Dark...Gold would protect them, if just for Piper's sake, from Regina and she needed to learn about her cousin, as much as she needed to learn about her daughter.

"Let's go," Emma called and they turned to head into the castle, Mary Margaret moving to lead the way as she remembered the palace best. They travelled up a few staircases, down some halls, around quite a few corners, until they reached the one room Mary Margaret had been thinking of since they arrived there.

It was a nursery, a crib set up, toys everywhere, every bit the perfect place for a princess to grow, but all in disarray, all turned on its side, broken, and in chaos. Dusty and dark and broken.

And there it was, the wardrobe in the corner.

"Oh my god…" Emma breathed, walking towards it, "I recognize this from Henry's book."

"Come," Mulan turned to Aurora, sensing this was a delicate and personal matter for the three women, "We'll stand watch at the gate," she gave Mary Margaret a nod before the two women left.

Piper stopped before the small toys on the ground, "You kept them..." she murmured, staring at two dolls, representations of Rose Red and Snow White that they'd been given on their 10th birthdays. It was a tradition in their families, when they came of age, to be given a doll, usually one that was like themselves, to remind them of who they were, to help them see how far they came when they were older. It was a pair of porcelain dolls, one blonde and the other with black hair, one in a red cloak the other in a white one. She'd left it there, with Snow White, because she always spent less time with her cousin in Snow's home than Snow did with her in her castle. She left her doll there for her cousin to remember her...and now she saw she was going to give it to Emma and it both warmed and broke her heart at the same time. She'd forgotten about the doll till just then, forgotten that Snow had had it. She'd always felt so terrible that she'd left her cousin so alone as to think her dead, yet there it was, her dolly, a comfort to her cousin, a comfort that would have been given to Emma as well.

"I never thought I'd see this place again," Mary Margaret breathed, moving towards the crib, "This room…it was your nursery."

Emma paused and glanced back at Mary Margaret, "I lived here?"

"You never even got to spend a night," Mary Margaret gave her a sad life, her eyes filling with tears as she thought about the life not lived, the life she could have given her daughter, should have given her if she'd just not told Cora Regina's secret, "This is the life I wanted you to have. I was going to teach you how to walk in here. How to talk, how to dress for your first ball…" she looked to the side when Piper squeezed her hand in comfort as she stepped beside her, "You never got to do any of it. We never got to be a family."

"We have a family," Emma reminded them both, "In Storybrooke. And, right now, they need us to get back there. So, how do we get this to work?" she gestured at the wardrobe, "Where's the 'on' switch?"

"It's more complicated than that," Mary Margaret sighed, "We'll have to get it back to the island. Hopefully, someone there has access to enough magic to make it work again."

"What can't you do it?" she looked at Piper.

"My magic is more based in the mind," Piper told her, "Controlling it, influencing it. I highly doubt Cora's lost all her magic though," she mused, "I have no doubt I could control her long enough to get her to use her magic on the wardrobe if necessary."

"Ok, so that's IF she still has magic," Emma rubbed her head, "Second problem...how are we going to carry this thing?"

"With the help of an old friend," a voice called as Lancelot entered the room.

Emma frowned seeing Piper slowly edging to grab her pipe.

"Lancelot?" Mary Margaret seemed just as surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"We heard about the ogre attack, and I had to make sure you were alright."

"Oh I doubt that," Piper's eyes narrowed.

"Where are Mulan and Aurora?" Mary Margaret started to frown at her cousin's tone, she trusted her, more than she would anyone else in that land, more than even Lancelot.

"I sent them to find food," he answered, "Tonight we'll make camp and then, in the morning, we'll head back. So, this is it," he eyed the wardrobe, "The portal you were after."

"There is no magic left," Piper told him.

"Well, a portal this powerful…there must be another way to recharge it."

Mary Margaret looked between Piper and Lancelot, seeing the narrowing of Piper's eyes, "Why are you so interested in the wardrobe?"

"Well, I just want you to get home to your husband," he smiled, "And son. Henry. They must miss you."

Piper shook her head, "You truly expect them to fall for this? Expect ME to fall for this Cora?"

"I'm sorry?" Lancelot chuckled, but Mary Margaret tugged Emma back.

"I hear the song of your soul, dearie," Piper mimicked Gold, "That is a magic not even yours can hide. Drop the glamour."

Lancelot's eyes narrowed as his image shimmered, a puff of purple smoke blasting up around him till only Cora was standing there.

"Clever girl," Cora nearly sneered at Piper.

"Where's Lancelot?" Mary Margaret demanded.

"He's dead. I killed him a long time ago."

"And you've been posing as him ever since?"

"Well, they'd never listen to me. And besides…every kingdom needs a hero, don't you think?"

"Not when there is no villain around," Piper shook her head, "What need is there for you?"

"None," Mary Margaret declared, quickly lunging towards Cora, realizing 2 things as she did so, the first was that now, with her magic back, she would certainly be thrown back by the woman and the second...now that her magic was back she was an even greater threat to her daughter. Just as she feared through, Cora used her magic to throw her back and pin her against the wall, throwing Emma back as well when she tried to help.

Piper merely moved in front of the wardrobe, her pipe raised, ready to do whatever it took to stop Cora.

Cora just smirked at her, "I really should thank you, Snow," she glanced at Mary Margaret, "I've been looking for a way over for so long."

"And it took Snow thinking of the wardrobe for you to as well?" Piper scoffed, "It would appear Rumpelstiltskin did not teach you everything if you cannot even think of but a single portal," she smirked, "Perhaps he did not think you worthy enough to know."

"Oh, and I suppose he told YOU about them?" Cora sneered, clearly thinking Piper was bluffing.

"That and more," Piper smirked.

"Why?" Mary Margaret wheezed, winded, her gaze flickering to Emma as she tried to get up but a rug wrapped around her legs, stilling her, "Why are you doing this?"

"I want to see my daughter," Cora sighed, "It's been too long."

"No," Piper shook her head, "You want to break her."

"Perhaps," Cora smirked, "And I would love to meet my grandson, Henry."

That was all that had to be said for Emma to do what had to be done, "No, you won't!" Emma snapped, grabbing the last bullet from her gun and cracking it open on a piece of wood, using a single spark from the metal of the gun on the ground to start a fire on the wardrobe, burning it.

"No!" Cora tried to magically stop the fire but Piper put her pipe to her lips and directed a sharp note at Cora, making the woman stumble back in pain, clutching her ears before she disappeared in a swirl of purple.

"What happened!?" Mulan gasped as she and Aurora ran back in, hearing the shouting, only to see the wardrobe burning, now completely ablaze.

Emma and Piper ran to Mary Margaret's side, helping her up, "Are you ok?" Emma breathed.

"You saved me," Mary Margaret gasped as she was released from the magic.

"Yeah, well…" Emma shrugged it off and looked at Piper, "Where is she?"

"Fled," was all Piper said.

"And now our ride home..." Emma trailed off, looking at the wardrobe.

"It matters not," Piper shook her head, "There are many a portal between worlds, we merely need to find one."

Still, they couldn't help but stand there and watch the wardrobe burn.

~8~

"Lancelot was one of the most noble knights I ever knew," Mary Margaret spoke as they finished telling Mulan and Aurora about Cora's treachery, the five women still standing in the nursery.

"How could I be so blind?" Mulan berated herself, "How could I not see that it was Cora?"

"Let's be fair," Emma tried to reassure her, "The whole shape shifting thing threw me too."

"It did not fool me," Piper pointed out.

"Yeah, well not all of us can hear people's souls," Emma rolled her eyes.

Mulan sighed, "What are we going to tell the people on the island?"

"The truth," Mary Margaret stated, "That Lancelot was cut down by a terrible villain. He died an honorable death."

"Cora's still out there. We need to find her. We need to defend what's left of the kingdom."

"Who's going to lead us?" Aurora looked at Mulan, "You?"

"No," she shook her head, before turning to Mary Margaret, "Her."

Mary Margaret blinked, "I'm honored. But Emma, Rose, and I still have to find a way back to Storybrooke."

Mulan nodded, "We'll help you. We'll find a way, won't we?"

"Yes," Aurora agreed, "Perhaps it will help me channel my anger."

"Come," Mulan turned and left the room with Aurora, leaving the three women for a final moment of privacy.

"I'm, uh, sorry I torched our ride home," Emma offered the women, "I couldn't let her get to Henry. I just..."

"It is perfectly understandable Emma," Piper cut in, putting a hand on Emma's shoulder.

Mary Margaret reached out and took her hand as well, "You had to put Henry first."

Emma shifted a moment, making Piper's lip quirk, it seemed the shifting-when-uncomfortable thing she and Mary Margaret did was hereditary, "I was angry at you for so long," Emma admitted to Mary Margaret, "Wondering how you could choose to let me grow up without you. But then I just…" she gestured around the room, "Seeing all this…you gave up everything for me. And you're still doing that. I'm sorry," her voice cracked, tears in her eyes, "I'm not good at this. I…I guess I just…I'm not…I'm not used to someone putting me first."

Mary Margaret stepped forward instantly and hugged Emma tightly, "Well, get used to it."

"The women of our family," Piper added, "Are quite protective," she added a small wink, "We do all we can to keep our families safe," she let out a soft breath and looked at Mary Margaret, "Even if it means allowing them to think you dead."

Mary Margaret frowned at that, still not sure why her cousin had allowed her to think that, to think she'd died, but...she had to trust her, for now, that she had done it because she thought she was protecting her.

"Come," Piper held out a hand to Mary Margaret to take, the three women heading for the door, pausing in the doorway to look at the room, taking a moment to just...reflect, on all that could have been, before heading out once more.

They had a different home to get back to.

A/N: I apologize for the lack of chapters the last few days :( On Tuesday night I got really sick and it wasn't till I got to the hospital and they ran tests that they found out it was a severe case of food poisoning and dehydration :( I was released on Thursday and I tried to get some chapters edited but it just didn't happen :( At some point when I tried, I actually fell asleep sitting up in bed with my sister's laptop (which my family then delighted taking pictures of -sigh-). I finally started feeling better today and I just couldn't go any longer without updating :)

Also, I try to do this thing on my tumblr where I do episode covers, basically try to slide the OC into moments from the show :) I've fallen quite behind on them, but I aim to try and restart them at some point today on my 'Episode Covers' page, with Skin Deep and do one a day till I catch up to this story and then I'd post it on the same day that the new chapters are up on :) I'll only be doing them for the main chapters and not the flashback ones though :)

Some notes on reviews...

She just might sense something about his song yup :) She'll recognize it when she's old because of this meeting :)

She finds out after her deal with him all that he's done to Regina ;) At this point in her life (this chapter) she knows everything he and Cora did to keep Regina down and she may feel some empathy for her later, but she's very single track minded about people she doesn't care for. She wants revenge against Regina and she won't be able to work past it till she's seen that through, afterwards though she might be just a tiny bit more understanding to Regina. There will be a key point here and there where she empathizes more with Regina but I won't say when ;) Yup, she knew Lancelot was actually Cora, oh but Hook will REALLY show Snow just how far she is from her baby cousin and how much an influence Rumpelstiltskin and her life have had on her }:) They'll definitely have a very deep conversation, quite a few, about their lives after their kingdoms fell ;)

I think for Rumple, she's so young and he only really met her twice before years passed for her, more than 10 I'd say ;) He's never seen her quirks like putting her feet up or playing her pipe and other things so he never really considered the Piper to be Rose Red :)

Oh the irony of him not looking ahead will be brought up in another flashback chapter too ;)

And I want to wish a happy birthday to Sarah310592! I hope you have a brilliant day! :)


	6. A Marriage of Convenience?

A Marriage of Convenience?

Rose Red was sitting in the music room of her castle, sighing, just sitting there really. She was bored, so, SO bored. She was 14 years old, she'd been around the instruments in the room for years now and it was just starting to get tedious. She loved music, she loved working on harnessing her magic to use the instruments, but she was just…utterly bored. She knew how to play nearly every instrument in there, she was meant to be practicing, but when on practiced for hours on end every single day it got very old very fast. And she missed Snow White very much.

Originally she and her family and Snow's had had an arrangement, that when both girls turned 10 they would be able to visit each other more, they'd practically live with each other. But before they could really do so…Snow White had gotten another mother. She understood, she did, that her cousin wanted a mother figure in her life and she did deserve one that wasn't in another kingdom, like her mother was to Snow. Snow had loved her mother, Queen Eva, so much, and for Eva to pass on her 10th birthday had crushed her cousin deeply. She had been a wreck, her father had been a wreck, and she had done all she could to ensure that her cousin was well and cared for and knew she was loved and would be alright. Snow had come to live with her for two years before she went with Snow to live with her and her uncle Leopold.

But it seemed like she had barely been there when Leopold had found another woman to fill the void of mother figure to Snow. She wanted to be there more, she really did, but there was just something about being in the castle with all three of them, with Regina and Snow and Leopold, that put her on edge. It was like there was a darkness brewing, there was a strain, and…to be quite honest, she didn't love being around Leopold and Regina at the same time. Regina was wonderful, for a woman only 5 years older than her step daughter, she was a loving and caring woman and she could tell she'd be a magnificent mother. But…she was also so sad. She saw it so much when Leopold was around her, that he kept bringing up Eva, he kept comparing Regina to the prior Queen, and…well…she could tell that her uncle didn't love his new wife.

She didn't like being around them, because they weren't in love. And she always felt so badly for Regina that she had to sit there and endure Leopold speaking of Eva, it seemed like every time she saw the man he said or did something that was connected to the last queen. She saw the hurt on Regina's face and the oblivious nature on Snow's and she couldn't stomach being around them long. Instead she ended up staying a week at most, before heading back to her own castle. She and Snow were originally meant to spend months together, alternating between home and kingdom, but now Snow came to stay with her for months on end and she could barely make it a week with Snow. It had a tiny bit to do, she knew, with her being half-Siren. They were very close to their families, to their blood relatives, and any sort of discontent made them uneasy. They took care of their families and wanted them to be as happy as possible and to be there and see her uncle still grieving his wife, his new wife so despairing of her life, and her cousin so oblivious…it made her ill at ease. Even though she knew she didn't feel that connection to Regina that she did with her blood-family, it still bothered her to see the entire and utter lack of love between her uncle and his new wife. Sirens thrived on the love between family, and there was none there. There was love between Leopold and Snow, but that wasn't enough to make her feel comfortable when visiting.

She tried, she really did, she tended to stay as close to Snow as she could during those trips, when it was just her and her cousin she could handle it better. She supposed she should have told Snow what was wrong, why she always left too early. For now, Snow thought it was because her parents needed her back in the kingdom, Snow always trusted others to tell the truth so she never thought she might be lying about it and she was too polite to ask her parents about it when she came to visit.

She huffed, getting up off her stool and moved over to the back wall where a small armchair was sitting. She glanced around before realizing that was a bit foolish as she was the only one in the room, and moved the chair closer to a small table that was set up against the wall too. She plopped down on it and smiled, putting her feet up on the table and crossing them, grimacing when she saw the shoes she was wearing as her skirts fell up a bit. Flat shoes, she hated shoes like that. She could always see the little cracks of her toes and it bothered her for some reason. She hated flat shoes and the ridiculous heels that her mother tried to make her wear that laced up to her ankles and felt odd when she tried to move. But equally she hated going barefoot as well. One day she would have to sneak out and see what she could find for herself. Her mother wasn't a fan of shoes either, but that was because she was a full Siren of the Sea, she herself was sure it was just a personal preference, that she just hadn't found a shoe she liked yet. She'd have to remedy that one day.

But for now she just put her head back and stared at the ceiling, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bor…

She jolted up, hearing a tapping on the window and looked over to see a small bluebird was there, tapping and tapping away.

"Snow," she huffed playfully, a small smile on her face as she got up and hurried over to the window, opening it to let the bird in…and then had to fight to try and get it to come to her hand with the small parchment she saw strapped to its leg.

"Oi!" she tried to grab it as it flew around the room, "Get over here!" and then it started to peck at her, "You little blue demon!"

She pouted, crossing her arms as it flittered up to the rafters. She took a breath, trying to calm herself, before she started to whistle a little tune, her gaze fixed on the bluebird. A moment later it lazily drifted down to her, landing on her finger as she held it out and took the message off it. She set it on the table and gently took the bird in her other hand, walking to the window and half-tossing, half-freeing it as it flew off.

She moved back to the table and opened the small scroll of parchment…before turning and bolting out of the room.

~8~

Rose half jumped off her black horse as she reached the woods that bordered Snow's kingdom. On the main roads it could take a little more than a day to get from her kingdom to Snow's, but there were a few, more narrow, paths through the woods that would allow her to reach Snow faster. They were dangerous, there were probably bandits and outlaws swarming around, but she was fast and when her cousin was in danger she was not afraid to use some of the more dangerous songs her mother had taught her to defend herself. She just had to get to Snow, her message had been urgent, that there was something Snow needed to speak to her about, that she needed help. Snow was always so independent, for her to need help, beg for it, beg for her to get there as quickly as possible, she knew it had to be serious, a matter of life and death if she had to guess.

So she'd gone to the stables, found the fastest horse there…struggled a little to get it to cooperate with her, animals weren't quite fond of her unless she used her music on them. She'd managed it though and had taken off as quickly as she could. She'd raced the whole way there, it was already dark and, while she knew her parents would likely worry for her that she had disappeared, they'd understand when she returned that she'd gone to help Snow and they'd forgive her. But that was the fact that she had to get to Snow first so she hadn't stopped. She'd probably pushed the horse further than she should have, raced it faster, didn't give it enough breaks, but she could hardly be faulted for that. As much as animals didn't like her, she didn't care for them either. She cared to the point of respecting it as another being with life in it, but there were times she forgot that they did have to be rested and things. It was likely one of the reasons why her parents had never given her a pet of any sort. But that was fine, animals were Snow's thing.

"Snow?" she called out, looking around the small clearing that Snow and she always met in when she'd visit Snow unofficially, "Snow?!"

"You have quite the set of pipes Rose," Snow's voice drifted over to her as she stepped out from behind a tree with her white dress and white cloak.

"And you never seem to realize that you should not wear white," Rose crossed her arms, "And we really do need to find a new way for you to send messages. Your birds are trying to kill me."

"No they aren't," Snow laughed.

But that phrase before seemed to spark something in Rose as she looked at Snow, "You're alive."

"Yes…" Snow gave her a confused look.

"Your missive made it sound like you were dying Snow!" she huffed, "I thought you were on the run or being threatened or…"

"No, no," Snow smiled, "Sorry, if I worried you, I'm…I'm ok."

Rose eyed her, "Yes, because you sound 'ok.'"

Snow rolled her eyes but sighed, moving to sit on a fallen log and patting the side of it for Rose to join her, "I…I DO need your help though Rose."

Rose frowned and moved to sit beside her, "What is it Snow?" she reached out and took Snow's glove covered hand, it was a bit chilly out. She didn't quite feel it, but she was sure Snow had. She could see by the pink tint to her cheeks and the rosy quality of her nose that she'd likely been out there for a while now, waiting, "You know I would help you with anything cousin."

Snow smiled at that, "I know, and that's why I needed you here. You're the only one I trust to talk to about this. I…I tried to talk to mother," she admitted, "But she got very quiet and said that it should be something father and I discuss."

"What is it?" Rose shook her head, feeling lost, "Snow, what happened?"

"I um…" Snow shifted on the log, "I received a marriage proposal."

"You are only 16!" Rose nearly shouted, their parents had agreed that they would not even begin to speak of marriage or betrothals or contracts or anything of the sort till they were at the very earliest 18.

"I know," Snow let out a breath, "It's why father's a bit cross right now. He wanted to outright refuse."

"But to do so so blatantly would mean discontent between the kingdoms," Rose nodded, understanding. She may have only just barely paid attention in her politics sessions, but she did know that.

"Yes," Snow murmured, "You know as well as I do that it will always be up to US, who we marry," she turned to her cousin, their fathers were adamant about that that it should be THEIR choice, that they marry for love, as they had done with their own wives, "But father was so upset that someone would dare…I'm not sure if he's more upset that they went to him for the proposal, as though I'd have no say in it, or because of what they were asking."

"What WERE they asking?" Rose shook her head.

"They wanted a treaty of peace between our lands and theirs," Snow seemed to vaguely recite, "Solidified by my marriage to their prince," she sighed, "There were stipulations about dowries and treaty points and it sounded more like they were bartering a hen for a piece of cloth than ensuring a happy marriage."

"I can see why uncle would be cross then," Rose remarked.

"Him?" Snow scoffed, "_I_ wanted to march right into that kingdom and punch their precious Prince James on the nose!"

Rose laughed a bit, "I take it the proposal shall not go through?"

But Snow was silent.

"Snow?" Rose's smile started to fall, "Snow, do not tell me you are actually considering this."

"I don't know," Snow shifted again, sounding more…defeated than actually like she was considering it, "I want to say no, because I don't know this Prince and I don't want to know someone who would just use me for a treaty, and I doubt I'd love someone like that. I want to say no because I want to find my true love and…I…I want a HAPPY marriage, like mother and father have."

Rose was silent, not sure if she was referring to Regina and Leopold or Leopold and Eva, whichever one it was, she held her tongue about it.

"I want to find a man myself, get to know him, fall in love," she smiled as she thought about it, "I want it to come with no strings attached. I want it to be out of love and dedication and trust and just…a need and desire to be with each other. I want to find a man who will…will stand by me and come after me if I'm ever kidnapped and rescue me from the highest towers. Someone who will always find me no matter how lost I get and…"

"I think it sounds as though you have made your decision," Rose cut in gently, squeezing Snow's hand, making her look at her, "Snow, you remember what Regina told you, about true love and how powerful that magic is?"

"Yes," Snow smiled more at the thought, "She was the one that helped me see what love should be," she thought on that more, "I want what she had, I want a love that just…creates happiness."

"Then have one," Rose let out a little laugh, "Have a love and a marriage for LOVE and not for convenience, Snow," she reached out to put her other hand on Snow's and her own, "You know as well as I do that a marriage like that…would make you miserable," she tried to give her a pointed look, tried to allude to Regina being unhappy in her marriage of convenience, but Snow didn't quite seem to grasp it, "Your heart is so pure Snow," she laughed again, "As pure as snow," Snow rolled her eyes at that, "And your soul is the same, your love should be the same. Don't darken it with unhappiness or resentment. If YOU want to marry a man you met and fell in love with, do it. Even if he's the baker's son, I would stand by you no matter what, I would help you run away from anyone who disagrees. Even if it meant hiding you in my castle and lying to uncle," she joked, though they both knew that Snow's happiness was always the top of Leopold's list. He wished for happiness for his kingdom, but to him that started with his daughter, if she met a baker's son who made her happy, Leopold would be over the moon.

"I don't care about standing though," Snow reminded her, "A knight, a prince, a baker, a shepherd, even a bandit, I wouldn't care who they were as long as the love was true."

"Then let it be true," Rose reminded her, "Find a love like that Snow, hold out for it. And know this…" she looked at her cousin intently, "If you marry this prince solely for a treaty's purpose, I shall never speak to you again," she smiled at the end, "And I should hope the bond between cousins is stronger than any old treaty between kingdoms."

"I don't think it's that strong," Snow mused playfully, "But the bond between _sisters_," she smiled widely at Rose, "THAT would never top any treaty ever made," she squeezed Rose's hand, "Thank you Rosie," she laughed as Rose rolled her eyes at that, "With a threat like that looming over me, your eternal silence, I cannot, in good conscience, agree to this marriage."

Rose laughed, "Good."

"Thank you Rose," Snow smiled at her, "You always put things in perspective for me when I lose sight of things."

"I am happy to be of help."

"Are you sure you're my BABY cousin?" Snow joked, "You sound far too wise."

"I could have just said 'well if you marry him it'll be a rather FROSTY marriage,'" Rose joked.

Snow just laughed and the two fell into silence, taking a few more moments to sit there beside each other, looking at the stars and enjoying their companionship.

~8~

Rose smiled as she sat in the music room of her castle, lightly playing a small fiddle that her mother had insisted she evaluate her performance on. She tended to gravitate more towards wooden instruments that used more of her breath than her actions. To her, it felt like she was better able to use her magic, her internal magic, her voice, while playing something like a flute or a pipe or something along that line. String instruments were her second best instruments to use, the sounds of the strings, especially on the fiddle or the harp, were lovely and seemed to inspire deep emotions in people, but not quite to the point of controlling them like a Siren could. She honestly wasn't sure she'd ever reach that point, being able to use her magic like her mother could and control the minds of others. So far she'd only really been able to make them feel things, make them cry or laugh or fall asleep. She wasn't sure if it was because she was only half or if she was just missing the drive to really do it.

Whatever the case was, her mother was smiling and that drove all thoughts of her magic from her mind and made her smile more. Her mother loved evaluating her and her performances, she was harsh, but she always offered ways to improve, she never sugar coated anything nor did she want the woman to. She was more for the blunt and honest truth than stepping around bushes. For her mother to be smiling like that, she hoped it meant that her mother was enjoying the playing and she felt it might be just that. She liked it when she made her mother proud, it was a harder thing to do than with her father, but she felt it made her better, to work for that pride than to have it just be given to her.

She ended the song gently and lowered the fiddle, holding it before her as she stood before her mother, not asking her what she thought though. She wasn't going to ask if she did it right or if she did it well, if her performance was good or not, because THAT was up to her. That was dependant on how SHE felt about her performance. It would be good if she thought it was good. It was up to her mother to decide if others would think the same. And her mother, for the last year or so, always thought she played well, now it was just a matter of if she'd played it correctly.

"Very nice," her mother nodded as she stood up fluidly, "You were too forceful in the first quarter, however it did mellow out nicely. You rushed the end slightly, but not too badly. Aside from missing two notes in the middle, you were extraordinary dear."

Rose smiled at that, everything her mother had said was things she knew herself, had heard once she'd begun to play and realized when she finished. She preferred it like that, when it was something she knew as well instead of being told something else that she'd missed.

"Thank you mother," she beamed as her mother came closer and hugged her tightly, her blond hair falling over her shoulder and brushing against her nose as she was hugged.

They pulled apart when there was a soft knock on the door and a servant peeked in, "My ladies," the man bowed quickly, "The King requests your presence in the Throne Room with all haste."

Rose frowned at that, she wasn't often allowed into the throne room to sit in on matters, she wouldn't be till she was 15, next year. She looked up to her mother but the queen merely gave the man a demure nod, "We shall be there momentarily, many thanks," the man nodded, bowed again, and slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind him, "Come Rose," she took Rose's hand, "We shall see what qualm you father has that requires both our presence, yes?"

"Yes, mother," she nodded, following her mother.

She could tell her mother was worried by how she'd taken her hand. Her mother didn't often do that, hadn't done it in many years really, not since she was a young girl. Whenever she did it now it was because she was worried about something. For the TWO of them to be asked to the throne room meant that there was something concerning HER that her father felt she needed to be there personally for. And that always alarmed and upset her mother. Sirens were especially protective of their children, especially those of the same gender. There were male Sirens, but they were less frequently seen, the females were especially protective of their daughters as the men were of their sons. But they did love their children equally. For her mother to be there, in such a strange land, so distant from the sea, and have something come up that was of such importance that her husband felt her daughter needed to bet here…it worried and concerned her mother greatly she knew.

They quickly made their way to the throne room, moving as fast as they could without rushing as it was unbefitting a queen or royal to rush in such a manner. A small announcement was made as they entered, which told them before the doors even opened that there was some other dignitary in there, some prince or king or some representative thereof that they had to be formal with. And that did little to reassure her mother as she felt her grip on her hand tighten, formalities that involved HER specifically were an even greater threat in her mother's mind.

They entered the room and walked up to the thrones, seeing her father standing before his, with a rather plump, slightly bald man, with graying red hair standing to the side. Rose eyed the man a moment, seeing a fine layer of sweat on his brow, a handkerchief seemingly permanently clenched in his hand, wearing more layers than he probably should be in the warm castle but appearing to try and seem more regal and well represented than he needed to be.

"My Lord," her mother smiled as she stopped before the king and stepped onto the small platform the thrones were on, taking his arm and kissing him quickly, "To what do we owe this sudden meeting?"

"Rose," her father held out a hand to her and she took it, stepping beside him on the platform before the visitor, "This is a representative from King George's kingdom," he introduced as the man bowed, "He has come with a proposition for us."

Rose blinked and looked up at her father, hearing a hint of reassuring amusement in his voice as he glanced at her mother, before they focused on the visitor again.

"Er, yes," the man smiled tentatively, "My King, King George, would like to propose a treaty between our kingdoms," he began, Rose staring at him nearly incredulously for that, "An eternal friendship, solidified by the union of the Princess Rose Red and his son, Prince…"

"James?" Rose cut in, not quite caring if it was against decorum.

She was quite sure pandering someone's son to the royal house in the hopes of marrying him off like he was a piece of meat was against decorum also. She could see the small smirk her father was wearing beside her and knew that he was thinking the same. He had to be given that he hadn't reprimanded her for her lack of manners. He was well aware of how King George had made this same proposition to King Leopold for Snow White's hand. She had returned the next day and had to explain to her parents where she had been and why Snow White had needed her help. That had been last month though, surely enough time for the declination of Snow to reach King George and she couldn't, for the life of her, understand why the man would think that SHE would accept when her cousin had not.

Either he was truly desperate or truly stupid.

"Yes," the man smiled wider, thinking perhaps that she had heard tales of the 'legendary Prince James' and his 'daring feats' and his 'noble bravery' and so on…highly exaggerated feats she was sure.

"I have expressed," her father spoke, "That it falls not to ME to determine the acceptance of any proposals of marriage between you and anyone that should come for your hand," he smiled at her, "But that it is YOURs and yours alone," the amusement in his eyes made her smile, "I believe I shall leave this to you, dear heart, to express your wishes in all of this."

"Many thanks father," she started to smirk.

Her father KNEW exactly how she'd deal with this, he knew how much she was like her mother and, even though this was the first time that someone had come to seek her hand in marriage, he could guess exactly how she'd react and if he was giving her free reign to do what she pleased in this…she would be sure to make it memorable and see just how far she could go before her father pulled her back. She doubted very much though that he'd pull her back at all, he was as protective of her as her mother was and this…this proposal…he would take as a slap in the face and an insult, a great travesty to have happen, and he would want her to make her desires in all this very, VERY clear.

She turned to the visitor, "You are aware, sir, that your king made a similar proposal to my cousin, Snow White?" the man hesitated but nodded, "Then, and please do forgive me, I must question the sanity of your king that he would ever think that I would accept a second proposal when he has made it very clear that he intended Snow to be the first and only recipient of this proposal. And," she held up her hand as the man tried to argue, "For that matter, I am well aware that the rejection of the last proposal was sent back, that your king had received it, and now he has this…brilliant plan to instead seek out her cousin? Not only could that potentially be grounds for a war between mine and my cousin's kingdom, should she have denied the proposal for a greater slight than merely wishing true love first, but this is also an insult to my kingdom as well. An insult to me…"

"Princess I assure it is not tha…" the man tried to speak.

"Silence," Rose gave him a hard look, able to see a small smirk appearing in her mother's face, "It is an insult to me that the king should have you come here only after Snow has refused his offer. You are, essentially, painting me to be a second choice in this and I have seen what a second choice means to a king," she was a bit softer on that last part, she could see it in Regina, how she suffered being compared to Eva repeatedly, "You are telling my kingdom that I, their future Queen, was not good enough to be a first choice for your beloved prince."

"My lady…"

"On top of that," Rose continued, stressing each word so that he would stop speaking, "I have heard tell about your dear prince and they are not stories of a man I would ever wish to share even the same room with let alone my life. He is a vain, arrogant, selfish boy who would be more likely to gamble away his fortune and steal it back from someone else than to rule wisely. The fact that he and his father even attempted to try and bring my cousin, nay my sister, into a marriage of the sort, without even an ounce of true love between them nor even a meeting, disgusts me. Your prince is a desperate fool and I should ask you to warn your king away from relations with I or my cousin in the future."

"Are you threatening my king and prince?" the man demanded.

"Not at all sir," she smiled, "I am merely 14 years old, I am sure your prince and king would be hard pressed to find a threat in me…and if they do, they have far more issues abound than the financial security of their kingdom," she smirked as the man started to sputter, "Good day sir, the guards shall see you out."

The small royal family waited till the man had been led out and the doors closed before the adults began to chuckle, Rose smiling as she saw her parents more amused by what she'd said than offended or cross. She knew it was dangerous to speak like that, that it could come back to bite her one day, but that was a risk she was willing to take against such arrogance as that of King George and Prince James.

A/N: Never ever tell your parents you're feeling better after being ill :( My parents decided that, because I was feeling better, I needed to 'get out of the house' and 'get some fresh air' and I think it was more them seeing me trying to update the chapters the last few days and pulling me away from my writing/editing (they do that a lot :( ). I'm sorry there were no chapters yesterday, my mother made me spend most of the day running errands with her and trying to find a birthday gift for my sister. But since today is my sister's birthday, I'm going to try and do a treat for you all too and give you a second chapter later today :)

As for this chapter...I was tempted to have Rose threaten that the next time she saw James she'd 'kill him' cos...well...she sort of did ;) BUT! I can say...Rose will actually meet James before that event goes down }:) I won't say when or how or what happens, but she does know James }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, my sister was telling me about a Sailor Moon/Harry Potter cross over once, because I'm a fan of both, and she had to do a project for a class about fanfiction and things and spotted a few. I haven't read any but I keep wonder if I'd picture Harry as an anime character or Serena as a real person lol :)

Oh Piper knows about the ash, but there's a reason she didn't take it and also a reason she didn't bother to get rid of it to stop Cora taking it either, but we'll find that out later ;)

Aww thanks! I love all my readers too :) I'm glad you're enjoying them. And thanks so much! I'm glad they're getting better as I go, I try to learn from past errors and suggestions and just keep building up so it means a lot to me that you think that :') I'll definitely keep writing. The first few times plagiarism happened I did contemplate stopping writing but everyone has been so amazing in their support that I just keep pushing through it for all the readers, because it wouldn't be fair to you all either to just leave a story midway :)

I agree, watching the show I do think some of the characters are really thick lol :) I think Snow was more an innocent naivety at first, like she can't quite understand why Rose would stay away, why she'd let her think her dead after the Queen was removed from power, because to her that was the greatest threat against them. She hasn't quite realized that Rose loved Rumpelstiltskin and knew they'd have used her to get to him. I think Snow would like to think she wouldn't use her cousin like that, but Charming might be willing, and a few others might try to force it, like they had no issue using a pregnant Cinderella and that was just a deal, imagine what they could do if they had the Dark One's true love as leverage. She'd see Rose her cousin, others would see the Piper his true love ;)


	7. The Crocodile

The Crocodile

_Piper was sitting there, like she always was, in his chair with her feet up on his table, a small teacup in her hand as she sipped it, smiling at the warmth steaming from the beverage. He knew it was really hot chocolate and cinnamon though, she was hardly a tea or coffee drinker, it always hit him, seeing her like that, just how paradoxical she was. A woman as hard as her, as cold and frigid to others, enjoying hot chocolate of all things, the most innocent of beverages. He stood there, watching her a moment, needing to watch her, needing to take in the moment and just let the relief wash over him that she was back, she was alive, she'd returned to him, safe and whole and well. It had been hell, utter tormenting hell to be in Storybrooke without her, to know she was trapped in the Enchanted Forest with her cousin and niece, a woman who thought her dead and another who barely knew her as anything more than his beloved. It had killed him every day, when he looked at the pipes in his back room, to think of her and know they'd been torn apart once more. He'd covered them up, unable to stand looking at them._

_If he were a less honest man than he was with himself and her, he'd argue with himself that he was being weak, letting her absence affect him so much. He had told other so often that love was a weakness, had believed it with his whole heart for so long…and then some battered blonde woman strolled into his life and before he even realized it his world was falling apart, breaking into pieces and reassembling into a way that he hadn't thought it could fit, a better fit than he thought possible. He'd found an enormous strength in her, an acceptance that was hard to come by for anyone like him, and a kindredness in her he was loathe to give up. Losing her to the curse had been agony to him, but he'd been content in knowing he'd managed to provide for her, having worked some tricks into the curse to make sure she'd be alright, to make sure she'd live and be able to navigate the world they'd end up in. He'd prayed that she would be with him, in Storybrooke, but alas that had not happened. Still he'd been ok to know that she was alive, enduring, that he'd been able to help her and look out for her. _

_And then she'd been taken by the wraith in trying to save her family. He would never fault her though he knew they'd both think her actions foolish when this all blew over. She always reacted instantly when those she cared for were in danger, he'd just thought that the daughter of Snow White and her Prince would be more…he wasn't sure, wise? Experienced? Able to handle herself? And what had he gotten, a woman who got sucked into a vortex, forcing the older women in her life to try and save her and get trapped too. But she was back, she'd returned to him through one of the many portals he'd taught her about, and she was in his home, in his life once more._

_He felt like he could breathe again. _

_It should be odd, that he'd latched onto her so deeply when she'd returned to him the first time. But it had been 28 years without his true love, he had only just gotten her back what felt like days before she'd been taken again. He could admit, to himself if to no one else, that he'd nearly broken at losing her again. He had been able to ensure her safety in this world…he hadn't been in the Enchanted Forest to protect her then. He had thrown himself into the various portals of this world. But it was harder to create one in a world where magic hadn't existed till days ago. The portal Regina had used had been destroyed, the only other portal was outside the town lines, and there was hardly any sort of portal that could just be created from magic, no it always needed something else, some other item to work. _

_He'd had nothing. _

_He'd focused nearly exclusively on finding either a portal or a way to cross the town lines to get to the tree that they'd come through. He had barely left his shop, he didn't bother to go home often, not to the home they'd come to share. The shop, much like the music room in the school for Piper, was his place though a place she frequented, his house was another story. It was THEIR home, it was always meant to be their home and to return to it without her…he couldn't bear it. He ate at Granny's instead of making his own meals in his kitchen. He slept in his uncomfortable chair in the back room instead of his large (empty) bed. He had actually fallen behind in collecting the rent from his various 'tenants' around town that was how consumed he was in getting her back._

_And now she was, she was back and he couldn't be happier to have her with him once more. He smiled to himself and entered the room, moving to sit across from her on another chair. He saw her smirk at the action and knew what was coming, so when her feet, bare for once instead of laced up with her boots, came to rest on his lap instead, he had to smile. Her quirks were always so unlike her, but made her all the more real to him. A princess that put her feet up on things, a murderer who sipped hot chocolate, the strongest woman he knew who gave him the gentlest kisses. He loved that about her._

_"I love you Pip," he felt compelled to tell her, just wanting her to know. He said it, more often than people assumed a man like him would, but he couldn't help it. She was back, she was finally back and he was never going to let her go again._

_"I love you too Rummy," she smiled at him, "I just wish…"_

_"What?" he asked her, leaning forward, "Anything you wish Pip, it is yours."_

_Her smile turned sad, "I wish you did not have to wake and leave me again."_

Gold's eyes snapped open to find himself sitting rather uncomfortably in a chair in his back room, the same chair he'd sat in in his dream, but there were three major differences. The first and foremost being Piper wasn't there. The second that there was a book on portals open on his lap. And the third was that his neck hurt painfully from how he'd fallen asleep.

He let out a long breath and closed his eyes, dragging a hand down his face, it was just a dream.

~8~

Gold sat in Granny's Diner, eating a small bite of toast that Ruby had begrudgingly brought over to him, a hot chocolate with cinnamon set up before him. He didn't usually order that beverage, but after his dream, after remembering Piper so vividly as though she were sitting right in front of him, he just…he needed something warm that he associated with her. He reached out and took the beverage, sipping it, before grimacing. It was terrible! What on god's earth possessed the woman to drink something so disgusting?! He reached over for a napkin and tried, to the best of his ability, to wipe his tongue off without anyone noticing the childish display.

"You were never one for sweets," a voice said before someone sat down before him in his booth.

"What do you want dearie?" he frowned at Princess Belle as she smiled at him.

"I remember," she told him, "The Enchanted Forest, I remember being your caretaker," she eyed the hot chocolate, "You never had much of a sweet tooth," she frowned, "Why would you think you'd enjoy hot chocolate?"

"A drink in memory of someone," was all he offered.

Her expression hardened, "The Pied Piper?" she guessed.

He nearly smirked at her reaction, pleased to see her displeased. He could admit, for a short while before he'd met Piper, he HAD been slightly affected by the girl before him. He had had many, many years to think on it though as he had questioned what it could have possibly been about her that had drawn him in at first, especially with how he felt about Piper now, he couldn't fathom any reason he'd have been remotely interested in someone like Belle. The girl was nearly as ridiculously optimistic and chipper as Snow White was and the stark contrast between her and Piper was an alarming one. How could someone like Piper hold his heart so tightly, yet someone like Belle had, at first, gotten under his skin. It had taken a very long time to ponder but he'd come to many realizations about it.

Belle, at first, touched something in him that only Bae had, a hope and belief that he was still a good, human man, that the Dark One's powers were all that had corrupted him and that, to remove it, would mean he'd be a good man again.

Piper had helped him realize that perhaps he was still a good man despite being the Dark One. She had pointed out to him that everything he did, all his deals, all the planning and plotting and manipulating and murder…was to get his son back. It was a pure love between a parent and child that drove him to do what he did. It had been the same love that had made him become the Dark One in the first place. His son had nearly been selected as a child soldier in the ogre wars and he'd been desperate to save him by any means. When he'd learned about how to control the Dark One, and later to take on his powers, he had jumped at the chance to be able to change his boy's fate, to save his life.

That was GOOD.

Being with Piper, seeing her attitude and perspective on the people around him, listening to himself telling her about his past and feeling the emotions that bubbled inside him as he thought on it…it made him realize that he hadn't always been a good man, not at heart. He hadn't had a pure heart, he'd felt anger and rage and darkness in him but had been too cowardly and crippled to act on it. But he FELT it. Everyone had some dark part of them save for the most pure of heart, like Snow White (and perhaps Henry), but it was THERE. It had always been there, in him, waiting to come out, and come out it had.

He'd felt a small spark with Belle, because the woman firmly believed he could be better, he could be decent, he could be a good man and all that blathering nonsense. Piper had made him realize…he didn't have to be if he didn't want to be, he didn't have to live up to the aspiration of being a good man if that wasn't who he was. That girl…she owned who she was, she owned her past and the things she'd done and she accepted it as who she was. She didn't try to change, she wouldn't try to be a better person any longer if that wasn't who she had become. If she killed a handful of Black Knights, so be it, she would do so and do it easily and accept any consequences that came from it. She wasn't going to let them go to run back to their mistress and have them attack her again later.

He didn't HAVE to be a good person to be a good man.

That was what Piper had taught him, own his darkness, own who he was, be true to himself in all his glory and he would find an acceptance and a power he'd never felt before. Belle had proven to him, as he thought back on her and her time with him, all her little comments, all her pleading and begging and so on, that she had essentially manipulated him. She'd attempt ultimatums, she'd try to wheedle things out of him, she'd try to actively change him, to appeal to him, to guilt him into things…all to try and get that 'good man' she thought he was back, not even realizing she hadn't even been born when he'd become the Dark One. She had NO knowledge of who he was, she only had an idea of who he should be. She liked to see the good in everyone, even him and the more he thought on it, the more he felt like what Piper had realized right off the bat was true…she liked the idea of him, the idea of curing him, of having that sort of power to 'save him from the darkness' and all that rubbish.

She hadn't accepted him for who he was, with all his flaws and evil ways. She kept trying to change him into a man she thought he should be.

Piper took him as he was and that…that meant more to him than anything.

"If you must know, yes," he gave her a hard look in return.

"I know why you replaced me," Belle continued, sitting back demurely.

"And why is that?" he asked dryly.

"I was changing you for the better, I was breaking your curse, and you were scared," she answered, "You were scared of the good inside you and you pushed me away. You let HER in because she fed your darkness."

"Is that the reason?" he nearly snorted at that, he pushed her away because she was an insipid girl who had betrayed him and fallen for the Evil Queen's ruse instead of just loving him unconditionally.

"Yes," Belle nodded, "But the Piper's disappeared now and I wanted to offer my services as caretaker again."

"Pip WILL be back," he glared at her now.

"And you don't have to go back to that," Belle tried to speak gently, "You CAN be a better man Rumple, I know it…"

"Do NOT call me that," he hissed at her. Many people called him Rumple, but that was mostly his former pupils, Cora, Regina, but Piper called him Rummy and hearing Belle calling him any sort of affectionated version of his name made his skin crawl.

"Mr. Gold then," Belle amended though he could tell she thought it was more the fact they were in this world and he was Gold here than because he didn't want her to call him Rumpelstiltskin.

"I don't require your services," he moved to get up.

"You need someone to stand by you," Belle stood as well, "Someone to help tether you to the good in your heart," she nearly seemed about to reach out and touch his chest, over his heart, but he stepped back, "I can help you."

"I don't want your help," he barely refrained from spitting that at her.

"No," she rolled her eyes, "You just want to sink back into the darkness with the Pied Piper. Rum…Mr. Gold, please," she pleaded softly, "You don't have to be evil."

"I am what I am dearie," he smirked, "And I will be with whom I wish. And that is NOT you, nor will it ever be."

"One day you'll realize what she's doing to you," Belle warned, "But I won't say that you'll come running to me and I won't help you, because I will. I care about you Rump…Mr. Gold," she amended, "And I will do everything I can to help you, to help keep you from the darkness," she offered him a smile and walked out.

Gold's jaw tensed as his hands clenched the top of his cane tightly watching her go. He could hear it in her words, the unspoken ending to her sentence, that she would 'keep him from the darkness, from PIPER.'

And he was NOT going to let that happen.

~8~

"What do you want?" Moe French hissed the moment the bell of his flower shop dinged and he saw Mr. Gold enter, "I don't have any more children for you to take from me."

"I don't want any of your children," Gold sneered right back, "ANY of them."

"Then why has my Belle gone missing?" the man countered, "The moment the curse broke she's been gone, that wretched deal I made with you."

Gold barely held back rolling his eyes, "I returned your precious daughter to you," he informed the man, "I released her from her obligation as my caretaker when another stepped in her place."

Moe seemed startled by that, he knew that his Belle was with him in Storybrooke, but he hadn't known that Rumpelstiltskin had released her from the deal, "What?"

"I no longer required her services, your debt to me was paid, the deal was completed, need I go on?" Gold gave him a hard look.

"But I don't understand," Moe shook his head, "Why would she run off then?"

"I believe it has something to do with her self-righteous quest to 'save me' from my curse," Gold scoffed, "A curse I would very much NOT like to see broken. Not that your daughter would be able to break it anyway, not now," he smirked.

"Then why are you here if she poses no threat to you?" Moe tensed, his heart restarting though from the realization that Gold wasn't likely to kill Belle as she had not the power to break whatever curse was upon him.

"I require your assistance."

"Why should I help you?" the man glared.

"If you wish your daughter alive," Gold did threaten this time, "You will help me ensure she stays far away from me and stays even further away from the Pied Piper."

"You just said she poses no threat to you!" the man stuttered.

"I said she cannot break my curse," Gold corrected, "You should pay more attention dearie."

"What could she possibly do though?" Moe tried to reason with him, not wanting Belle in danger, "My Belle is harmless…"

"Perhaps, but I am not in the business of leaving the safety of those that are important to me to chance," Gold mused, "Your precious Belle could very well pose a threat to my Pip."

"The…Pied Piper?" Moe started to frown at how Gold had called the woman 'Pip,' but…he HAD seen him and a blonde woman walking about town. Gold had even bought a small bouquet of roses for the woman once, he knew that the man was in some sort of relationship with her, the whole town did, "Belle wouldn't be able to stand against her," Moe said quietly, "Hardly anyone would dare to."

And it wasn't just because of Gold's obvious care for her and the protection that being associated with him would offer her. No, there were many tales of the Pied Piper, what she could do, what she could make others do both of their own free will and by bending their will to her. His Belle would not dare to go against the woman.

"Be that as it may, she has the potential to be quite an annoyance when Piper returns," Gold continued, "And I rather like having Pip happy than irritated."

Moe hesitated.

"If you prefer, I CAN just kill your dear daughter and be done with it," Gold reminded him, though even HE wasn't sure why he hadn't just done that first instead of coming to the man. But…losing Piper, losing her to the knowledge she was with her cousin and niece, the family she'd been trying to find, knowing he wanted to be with his own son badly…perhaps, just this once, he wouldn't take the man's daughter from him.

He'd done that once and it had ended up being a nightmare.

"What do you need me to do?" Moe sighed.

Gold just smirked.

~8~

Gold and Moe stood in the minds as they stood above the body of Belle, sitting in one of the miner's carts, a small, plump man, the pirate Smee, handcuffing her hands to the cart so she wouldn't be able to flee when she woke. They'd gotten the man involved to bring Belle there as they doubted the woman would think him a threat. She had to know that, given his cold reception of her, Gold would not want to suddenly meet her any time soon. She was also aware of her father's dislike of how she'd run off to go find the Dark One the moment the curse had broken and wouldn't trust him. So they'd gotten Smee to run into her on the street, pretending he needed change before he knocked her out with a bit of magic potion that Gold had provided.

The potion would only last an hour so they were just waiting for the woman to wake up. They needed to make sure that their plan would work and for that to happen, they needed her awake and able to speak and move when it was over.

They stiffened as Belle slowly came around, blinking blearily as she caught sight of Smee, "Who are you? What…what are you doing?!" she tried to jerk back, tried to get free of the handcuffs but she couldn't move.

"I'm just a man who procures hard to find objects," Smee told her, "In this case, the object was you."

"So then who put you up to this?" Belle demanded.

Moe and Gold glanced at each other, standing behind Belle, before Moe stepped forward to Smee's side, "Belle…"

"Father?!" Belle gasped, "What...what are you doing? Why am I here? What's going on?"

"I'm so sorry Belle," Moe sighed, "Please understand. I had no choice."

"No choice in what, kidnapping me? Father I am not a child anymore!"

Moe looked at her, pained, "Promise me you will stay away from the Dark One and I can release you."

Gold rolled his eyes at that, he already knew Belle would refuse, and even if she didn't, he wouldn't trust the woman not to come seeking him out again. He didn't have time to deal with this, with Belle trying to sneak her way into his life, he had to find Piper, he had to find a way to make a portal to get her back. And when she did come back (and she WOULD come back) he didn't want Belle lingering around. Oh he knew there was no threat of the woman to Piper, Piper had dealt with her quite easily in the Enchanted Forest. But she would be an annoyance, and he had seen how Piper was when she was annoyed. This wasn't about a lack of trust between him and Piper involving Belle, it was more a nipping something irritating in the bud.

"I can't," Belle shook her head, "I can save him."

"You don't understand what that man will do to you," Moe breathed, "What he's already done."

"No, you don't understand," Belle shook her head, "It's my life!"

"Then I don't have a choice," Moe sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Belle asked more quietly this time, seeing the tears in her father's eyes, realizing something was horribly wrong, "Father...why are we in the mines?"

"Because, dearie," Gold stepped out of the shadows and before her as well, "This is the only way over the town lines that isn't being patrolled."

It was quite a simple plan. Above them there were sentries at the town line, to ensure no one would accidently wander over it in the woods and so on. But below the ground, in the tunnels, there was the same town line, but they could easily get past it. The entrance to the mines were unguarded at the moment, a simple lock and key keeping it shut, but when one had magic, locks were all too easy, and he was a rather good lock picker even without his magic. It was all about the tumblers.

"What?!" Belle gasped.

"Yes," Gold nodded, "Once you cross the line, dearie, you forget who you were in the Enchanted Forest. The only life you'll know will be this one in this realm."

"You can't do that!" Belle shouted struggling more.

"Smee," was all Gold said as he turned to look at the pirate.

Smee hurried over to a small lever and pulled it, sending the mining cart off with Belle on it, the man closing his eyes as he listened to her screaming as she went, "No, wait! I'm begging you! Please don't! Don't do this! Please!"

But the two men just stood there, watching the cart grow smaller in the distance before it suddenly went quiet. Moe hurried off down the tunnel with a light, rushing to make sure that the cart had truly gone over the town line and that Belle wasn't merely faking it, before he hurried back, "It's done," he told the men.

Gold nodded and turned, holding out a hand and using magic to pull the cart back. Smee quickly hurried over to the unconscious woman and unlocked the handcuffs. Moe pulled his daughter out of the cart and brought her over to the entrance to the mines, lying her down once more.

"Mr. Gold?" Moe turned to him.

Gold crouched down and waved his hand over her head, making a small cut and bruise appear, making it seem like she'd knocked her head on the side of the mine and fallen there. He stood back up and walked off without another word.

"Thank you," Moe whispered to him, as Belle...no, Isabelle, slowly woke.

"Dad?" the girl frowned, "What am I doing here?"

Gold glanced back for only a moment, already able to tell in how she spoke and her mannerisms that Belle was no more.

Perfect.

~8~

Gold stood in his shop, looking through a few potions bottles with a small smile on his face, the plan had worked perfectly. Isabelle was the only set of memories that remained in Belle, a girl who loathed him because of how he treated her father, for how he'd nearly beaten him to death for stealing Piper's playing pipe. And that was just what he wanted. He'd ensured though, that the girl would have other things to occupy her mind as well, having given Moe the key to the library as the girl's love of books had carried over into this world. It would keep her busy and away from him. He honestly found himself a little...disturbed by Belle's apparent infatuation with him, she was a young girl and, granted Piper had been about her age when they began their relationship, Piper was older now, matured, their relationship was something more than what it had been, something deeper than anything that could have been with Belle.

He looked up when he heard the bell of his shop ding to see Smee enter timidly, "You're probably wondering why I asked you here, Mr. Smee. I want information."

"A...about what?" Smee stuttered.

"About the man you work for."

"I'll tell you anything you want to know about Moe," Smee said quickly.

"No, no," he smirked, "Not about Moe...your captain," he gave the man a pointed look, "Where is he?"

He'd searched out Captain Hook the moment he awoke in Storybrooke, thinking he'd be able to easily take the man out if he was unaware of who he was. But he hadn't seen hide nor hair of him. He knew the man would Smee in some way, have some sort of contact with him if indeed he was there. And he wanted to know, he needed confirmation about whether Hook was there and lurking about or if he was in the Enchanted Forest...

Because if he was...then that meant Piper was there as well and while he knew that Piper was safe, that she loved him more than his wife ever had, the blasted woman who ran away with the pirate all those years ago, he wouldn't put it past Hook to try to use her as leverage or hurt her in some way...not that Piper wouldn't see to it that she was defended and perhaps harm Hook twice as badly in return. Still...it was PIPER, and Hook had a habit of taking his loves away from him.

"I've never seen him in Storybrooke, I swear," Smee stuttered, "For some reason, when the curse hit, it…it didn't take him."

Gold's jaw tensed as he realized what that meant...Hook was in the Enchanted Forest.

With Piper.

A/N: My fault for the lateness this time, sorry! I slept right through my alarm lol. I know I didn't get to the second chapter yesterday, so we'll be getting it today :)

As for this chapter...this was one of the more tricky chapters to write, because it was so heavy to feature Belle and no Piper, so I thought that I'd try to make it a resolution chapter. I know many of you wanted a Piper-Belle confrontation (and we will see a small one eventually) but I wanted to also show how far Gold is willing to go to ensure Piper is happy. He doesn't want her to come back to Storybrooke and have to deal with Belle, he wants her to be happy so I figured he'd be a part of this whole conspiracy to erase Belle's memories and have her be Isabelle. (I know she's 'Lacey' in a future episode, but I interpret that to be Regina basically making up a personality on the fly to mess with Gold and not what she'd really be like with her cursed memories).

Some notes on reviews...

Oh Piper will do something that will make the flirting a bit difficult for Hook...and deadly lol :)

We'll find out what Piper did after she returned the children in a flashback chapter ;) Piper sort of killed James in that she was the one responsible for making him unaware his opponent wasn't dead yet, he was killed because she distracted him so that she could get David to take his place and meet Snow :) Oh the reunion will be quite something ;)

I try to look more at the things that Regina was angry at Snow about, I feel like it started with Daniel and just sort of built up over the years :)

I'm not sure, she didn't give a specific crossover for SM/HP, but more just told me they existed, I may try to go looking for a few when I get some time as I don't plan to do a Sailor Moon story or a HP one at the moment ;)


	8. Acceptance

A/N: Tiny warning, bit of blood/gore(?) in this chapter, nothing overly graphic but some talk of bad things.

~8~

Acceptance

Rumpelstiltskin stood in his dungeons, well, really they weren't quite dungeons, more like side rooms that he could keep prisoners and people that tried to double cross him in. There was someone in there now, a rather miserable little wretch that had dared tried to trick him with a deal, claiming there was a loophole in it that exempted him from having to fulfill his end of the deal while he himself had given the man the thing he desired most. The boy was, unfortunately, one straw short of a hay bale and therefore had completely missed the wording of the deal and, as a result, his life was now forfeit. Well, actually it wasn't his life. The boy had promised to repay him pound for pound of what he'd provided the man in something of value at the end of the deal. But the boy had defaulted and it was well within his right to claim his restitution.

He'd chosen skin.

The boy was a vain individual, he could do with missing some chunks of his face and arms and legs and torso, he would heal it, of course, after it was over, but he'd make sure that it healed with the horrendous scars that wouldn't be easily healed to erasure by others with magic. No, he wanted to make a public spectacle so all would see what happened when they double crossed Rumpelstiltskin. This was the only way to keep the respect and fear that people held for him. If he let the man go, he'd end up a laughing stock, people would think that he'd gone soft, they'd try to double cross him in the future and he couldn't have that, not at all.

No, when people broke a deal they had to pay.

He closed his eyes a moment, he knew that better than anyone what came with breaking a deal. He'd broken one in his life, the worst one he could have ever broken, and he'd done it…to his own son, and he'd been lost because of it. He'd lost his son to another world all because he'd been a coward. He'd been a coward all his life, he'd turned to magic for strength and power and courage and…when it came down to it he was still a coward because he couldn't give up that power, he couldn't let it go. And he'd lost his son for it. No, when people broke deals they needed to know there were consequences. There were consequences for everything in life, this was but one of many.

He stopped suddenly and spun around when he heard a door open behind him, quickly moving to face the person in the doorway, moving his arm behind his back where his bloody dagger was now hidden. He honestly didn't know why he'd done it, why he'd hidden it. He shouldn't care, he shouldn't care one way or the other if someone happened to walk in on him in the middle of seeing that a deal was followed in the future. He shouldn't care if he scarred whoever it was that had entered, he shouldn't even stop really…it could give his prisoner ideas about the person he'd stopped for though he highly doubted that the man in question was conscious enough to realize what was happening beyond the fact that there was a brief respite from the pain.

He knew what it might have been, the last time someone had walked in on him had been Belle as he'd been cutting off the toes of someone who had drunkenly tried to kick him once. She'd screamed and screamed and it was so bloody annoying that he'd ended up stabbing the man in the foot so that he could turn and shove the girl out of the room. He hadn't heard the end of it for ages after that and it had ground against his last nerve to hear her going on and on and on about it. He'd had to threaten to cut out her tongue to get her to stop, but since then it had been an almost automatic reaction to try and hide what he was doing from whoever entered. He supposed, somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept thinking that it was Belle that would be stepping into the room.

Piper had only been with him a month so far. She'd conducted two other deals outside their own deal with other towns, and it appeared she was just returning from the second one now and had come to alert him to the fact that she was back. He'd set her into the wards around his castle. They never kept people out, what if desperate folk came to beg for deals? But they DID alert him to who was there and he'd known the moment she'd stepped past his gates that she'd returned. He'd told her that after the first time she'd come from a deal yet she seemed insistent to let him know that she was back. It was quite refreshing though, to him it made him feel like she respected him enough to come seek him out and let him know she was back within his home.

"What?" he demanded quickly, seeing her standing there in her old worn brown cloak, the clasp fixed, her pipe sticking out of her boot, "What is it?"

She tilted her head as she eyed him, her gaze flicking to his chest, then to the man groaning behind him (he was rather slim so it wasn't like his own body could hide much), and back to him. He glanced down to see that his chest was splattered with blood so there was really no need to hide the knife he'd been using and let his arms fall.

"Have you come to tell me something other than the fact that you have returned?" he asked, his voice taking on an impatient note.

She eyed him once more, "Yes," she responded, "That knife is too sharp, use one with teeth if you wish to inflict greater pain."

He blinked and in that moment of blinking, she had shut the door and merely walked off.

He stood there for quite a few more minutes, just staring at the door. He wasn't sure if he was waiting for her to return or if he was waiting to hear a scream or if he just wasn't sure if she had really just stood there and seen a man cut open and bleeding before her as though it were nothing and just wandered off. She'd just wandered off! No screaming, no gaping in horror, no tears in her eyes, just a casual curiosity and than an indifference with…what was actually sound advice.

He lifted his hand and looked at the sharp knife in it, the edges were sharp, smooth…but now that he thought about it, a knife with more jagged edges or 'teeth' would make for a much more entertaining time.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin stood in his main room, watching as Piper sat as she always did, in the chair at the end, her feet up, her cloak draped on the back of the chair in question. She had a small pile of candlestick holders in her lap and was polishing them with a small cloth, hardly seeming perturbed about what she'd walked in on only moments ago. He stood there a few more minutes, just observing her, trying to see if there was anything, any sign that she was hiding how she really felt about it all, that she was disturbed or angry or disgusted with him and what she'd seen. He had a very good idea that she truly wasn't affected by it at all, no woman in their right mind that was alarmed by what they'd seen would have recommended another knife to use. But she was perfectly calm, sitting there, polishing away. Her hands were steady, her motions mesmerizing to him, her focus entirely on the task at hand. There were no tears in her eyes, she wasn't any more pale than she always was, her lips weren't trembling. She seemed entirely calm.

"If you are going to stare at me," she spoke, "You may wish to do so at a closer distance. You would not be able to detect the slighter nuances of my face and mannerisms from over there."

He smirked at that and made his way over to her, hopping onto the table and turning to face her, crossing his legs as he did so, moving his elbows to his knees and resting his chin on his joined hands. Piper didn't even bother to move her legs, just kept them where they were so that the ends brushed against his knee, and he didn't make her move it either though there was a small war going off inside his head about it. It was his home, but she was his guest of sorts, it was his table, but she'd been sitting there first, but when HE sat down she should have moved, but he could have sat on the chair just as close or bothered her by touching her shoulders (he knew that tended to upset many women and men he spoke to, physical contact and all). He shook himself out of his thoughts though, there wasn't really any point, her feet up on his table didn't bother him, she cleaned the table after all, and her legs so close to his own weren't irritating him either, so what was the harm?

He tilted his head to eye her more closely, but it was just as he'd seen from across the room, she didn't care one way or the other that he'd just sliced up a man a few hours ago. He'd sent the man off, his missing flesh now healed but scarred terribly, and been cleaning up his knives before he entered the room. His clothes still had blood on them and yet she hardly spared the red splatters a glance.

"I would like to request," she began and he wasn't sure if he was smiling because he thought he'd finally gotten her to speak of something disturbing about what he'd done or because he was curious to see what she'd say (as he somehow doubted she'd request he stop slicing people like that), "That you please wear an apron or some other covering before engaging in such activities."

He blinked…that was NOT what he was expecting, "I beg your pardon dearie?"

She looked up at him, "Blood is a nightmare to remove from white cloth," she nodded at his sleeves, splattered with the red dried substance, "I should hardly like to have to go to you each and every time I require assistance with its removal via magical means. It would be simpler to cover up the cloth before it is exposed to it in the future."

"I could just wear nothing at all then," he tried a crude suggestion.

"Whichever you prefer," she waved it off, getting back to polishing.

He couldn't help but giggle at that, while most women would blush scarlet at the crudeness and imagery of it, Piper just went on as though it were everyday business…though he DID see the faintest of pink on her cheeks. He liked that about her, that he could quip with her and banter and he could shook her something and she responded instantly.

"I find it odd that you would request that than to request I refrain from partaking in such activities as a whole," he commented.

"I find it odd that you think I would get involved in your own personal deals when you have stayed out of mine," she fired back, sending him a momentary smirk before focusing on her polishing again, "I inquired, as part of our deals, that I be allowed freedom to see my own deals through, it would be unwise and unfair of me to tell you who to make your own deals when you have not a say in mine."

He nodded, considering that logic for a moment, "You truly cared not for what was happening in there? What I was doing?"

"If that is the way you deal with those who break a deal, who am I to tell you to do otherwise?" she countered, "I have demanded similar things in the past when my own deals have been broken."

He nodded at that, it was true, Hamelin came to the forefront of his mind at that, but still he felt he had to ask her, "You truly would not ask me to stop?" he looked at her, "Belle would have," Belle did.

"I am not Belle," she remarked simply, "I care not for how you express your rage at others trying to break a promise. You do as you wish, how you wish, and in whatever way you wish…so long as you keep the blood off your clothes," she smirked.

He giggled at that, "You are an odd woman."

"In what way?"

"You just walked in on me skinning a man alive and told me to use a different knife," he repeated as though it should be obvious how utterly odd that was, "The last time Belle saw me doing something of the sort she went on a rant and a preach about how it was cruel and unjust and evil and how there were other ways to ensure people uphold a deal," he rolled his eyes, feeling the familiar irritation at Belle rising in him again.

"I was correct in my assumption then."

"What assumption?" he blinked, startled.

"The former caretaker merely loved the idea of you," she set the candlestick holder down and moved to the next one, "She wanted to 'reform' you and 'save' you from the darkness inside you."

"And you don't?"

"I have no desire to change you," she shook her head easily, "As it stands, you being who and what you are may be the only thing keeping me alive."

He looked at her intently, sensing it was FAR more than just that to her. She truly didn't care what he was like or how he acted. She'd proven it in how easily she'd accepted and even expected him to be serious about skinning children and commented on how she could stretch the skins into parchment or sew them into purses. She'd been utterly serious and hadn't even balked at his comments on it. Even now she hadn't told him to stop acting how he had been but to take more care with his clothing.

"I know what it is like to be changed," she added, slightly more quietly, "Sometimes against your will, other times to change yourself due to situations. It should ONLY ever be because YOU wish to change and not because others want to see you one way or another."

He nodded at that, thinking of Belle, how she kept trying to guilt him into talking or trick him, how she'd do things without his permission and the later try to put up a front and argue with him that it was better. Even right at the end she'd only kissed him to break his curse, to get the man she believed to be inside him out. She hadn't wanted him, Rumpelstiltskin the Dark One, she'd wanted Rumpelstiltskin the Hobble-Foot. And that wasn't the man he was anymore.

"I chose to change," he murmured, "I chose to become the Dark One, to become this."

"Then why should I change what makes you happy?" she remarked, glancing at him, "You are the Dark One, you are dark, you have darkness inside you. I do as well. I should not change in you that which I would not change in me."

"I would not have you change either," he admitted.

"Oh?" she returned her attention to the candlestick holder.

"Indeed," he smirked, "Most women would have screamed bloody murder at what they saw me doing."

"That would be rather redundant."

He giggled even more at that, "It was quite bloody, but by no means murder."

"Oh I am aware."

"Were you now?"

She hummed, nodding her head slowly in response, "If it had been murder, he would have screamed less."

"Perhaps I just hadn't gotten to the actual deed yet."

"Then it would be torture, not murder," she reasoned, "Torture seems to be less gratifying when the victim cannot be made to scream."

His smile started to fade slightly at that. Her words were hollow, they were as uncaring and flippant as they always were which usually intrigued him deeply to hear a woman, clearly of some sort of proper upbringing, speaking so nonchalantly about half the things they talked about, but this, he could tell was different. The hollowness had a different tone to it, it sounded more forced than indifferent. He got the vague sensation that…she had some sort of experience with it to know that with such certainty.

"I shall take your request on one condition," he began, eyeing her closely.

"And what would that be?"

"You fulfill a request of my own."

"Which is?"

"An answer to a question."

"And the question?"

"Pray tell, dearie," he eyed her, "How did you know the second knife would be best?"

Piper stopped her motions for only a moment before she let out a breath and turned to place the candlestick holder onto the floor beside the chair. She turned to look at him, before leaning towards him. He didn't move…no, that wasn't right, he…_couldn't_ move. He'd tried to move, but her eyes, they were locked on his own, the forest green eyes getting closer and closer to him, and he felt himself inhale but refuse to exhale. He could feel an odd tingling in his body, like it was humming, like it was starting to buzz with some sort of odd warmth and energy that was wholly unfamiliar to him. If he hadn't known any better he would have thought she'd used her magic on him, used some sort of spell to keep him in place, but she hadn't even uttered a single note of her music, she was just…getting closer and he couldn't, for the life of him, get himself to pull away from her. He just stared into her eyes as her face grew closer and closer, his eyes flickering down to her lips for the briefest of moments, before her gaze turned to the side.

He found his head turning with her gaze, her own head leaning to the side as she focused on the leg of her pants. He watched, his eyes widening slightly as she tugged her left pant leg out of her boots and folded it up her legs till she could turn it slightly and reveal something that actually made HIM frown…something that actually made a small ball of rage form in his chest despite the hell he'd just unleashed on another man of a similar quality to what he was seeing before him. There were scars on her thigh, different scars. Some were lines, others were jagged, there were ones that seemed to have scarred harder than others, some that were fainter, some a dark pink others light, it was like a mishmash of them. And he noticed that wasn't the only scar on her leg. There were some others, fewer and more far between scattered down the whole of her leg, nicks here, small circular ones in other areas like a poker had been used, but his eyes drifted back to the deeper ones on her thigh.

"I have experience with how knives can be used to cut flesh," she said simply.

He reached out and touched her scars, tracing them. He knew it was wrong, it was entirely inappropriate for any man to touch a woman like this, to touch her thigh, to run his fingers along it, especially to run his fingers along her scars, but he couldn't stop himself. It was almost like he could feel the pain in them, feel the torment that went into making them, feel the hatred and bitterness and agony that resided in them.

"And how did you come about this experience?" he asked, his gaze still fixed on the lines marring her white flesh.

"I DID mention the Queen was after me, yes?" she gave him a look for his question.

"The Queen's men are brutes, yes," he agreed, "But they would not do something like this. She is more for swift executions than torturing her captives. And if she is as keen to find you as you fear, she would wish you brought to her immediately, not long enough for these to be made."

"Indeed," she agreed, "But I never said that it was the Queen's men who did this," she caught his gaze as he looked at her, realization dawning in his eyes.

She had been on the run for so long it was understandable that she'd run into other men, other less than desirable brutes that would do this to a young girl they believed to be helpless and unable to fight back.

"Now that is interesting," he murmured, "You nearly had Belle bleeding out her ears for slapping you…"

"And the men who did this are long since left for mad," Piper agreed, a small smirk on her face.

"How did they even come to make these?" he wondered, touching them lightly all over again, "These are different ages, this happened at different times. Why wait to kill them all for harming you?"

Piper blinked and looked at him, not speaking till his eyes caught hers and held it for a long moment. The way he'd spoken just then, he sounded like HE would have killed them for harming her. It had made her heart beat more quickly than she had experienced it beating in a long while. The sound of his voice, the threat in them, that if the men hadn't been dead already or taken care of HE would have hunted them down. It was odd, she shouldn't feel like she knew him well enough to read between the lines and hear the promises and threats in the words he said and the ones he left unspoken, but she could.

And the way he was looking at her, so intently, there was a spark of rage in his eyes, an anger that she'd been harmed. IT shouldn't have mattered to him that she'd been hurt as the scars were clearly older than their deal, but there it was. His jaw was tense, his back straight, his hand that wasn't tracing her leg clenched in a fist beside him. He seemed ready to leap off the table and go stalking through the doors and out into the night on a hunt for the men who dared lay a finger on her. She felt her breath catch in her throat at the intense look he was giving her so she cleared it.

"I had not reached that point yet," she said simply, "I was not always so…"

"Indifferent to the thought of taking a life?" he offered.

"Yes," she nodded, "I was not strong enough to do it. Even then," her gaze turned back to the scars, "I merely drove them past the brink of madness and did not kill them," she shook her head, "I grew stronger after that. I grew stronger in my songs, in learning how to control the will of others instead of just their emotions. I was able to _make them stop_."

He felt a shiver run down his spine at the venom and power in her words, "And no one harmed you again after that," he realized.

She nodded, "But that is how I know which knives inflict the most pain."

"You experienced it, and yet you tell ME of which to use on another," he mused, most who had experienced a hurt went to great lengths to avoid it happening in others.

"I could endure it," she shrugged, "If I can, so can they."

She was a hypocrite most likely, in some sense of the word. She had no qualms with inflicting the same pain others had on her onto others. She accepted the consequences, but unlike those who harmed her. She didn't use it against people that didn't deserve it. She wouldn't go up to a random person on the street and kill them with her song or torture them with her music like some had done to her with knives and belts and threats in her past. She had been on the run for a very long time before she'd reached Rumpelstiltskin, she had lived through her fair share of harms and hurts and pains. But she would wait till it was necessary to use her skills and not attack for no reason.

Rumpelstiltskin nodded at that, "You shall never be harmed again Piper," he swore to her, "I always see my deals through to the end."

"I am aware," she nodded, a ghost of a smile on her lips, "But thank you."

He nodded again and they fell into an easy silence, still looking at each other a moment longer, before Piper seemed to realize she still had her leg exposed and moved to pull her pant leg back down. But Rumpelstiltskin grabbed her hand gently, stilling her motions. He reached out, his face the picture of concentration, as he traced the lines of her scars with his other hand, Piper watching with slightly wide eyes as the scars began to fade, a line of purple glowing where they had been before disappearing entirely, leaving her skin unblemished. She watched as he moved to do the same to lower down her leg when she grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Some scars are worth bearing," she told him, "For the reminders they bring."

He nodded and pulled back, "Are there any others that you wouldn't need to see to remember?"

She smiled at his offer, "One other place," she nodded, "But I shall not tell you where."

"Oh?" he smirked, "Am I to guess?"

"No," she shook her head, "You are to wait. Perhaps one day you will see it."

He considered that a moment before nodding in acceptance, watching as she tugged down her pant leg once more, tucking it into her boot, his face not moving from where it was, allowing him to catch the briefest whiff of the scent of her hair before she leaned back and picked up a candlestick holder once more, starting to resume her polishing, her legs still up beside him.

He could see it though now, in her expression, it had taken a lot for her to be able to bear her scars to him, and it meant even more to her that he had healed them, that he had wanted to. He didn't know why he'd felt the need to do it, but he'd done it, and what was done was done.

He shifted slightly on the table and reached out, making Piper pause when he grabbed the ends of her boots gently and turned her legs to rest on his lap. She looked at him and he just smirked, crossing his arms over her boots and gestured for her to continue working, him watching as she did so, a smile taking the place of the smirk as he saw a smile appear on her face as well.

A/N: Hope you liked this little look into the mutual 'darkness' they have :) Piper/Rose has had...quite a hard past, I can say that there'll be moments in it that shape who she is and bring out the Siren in her }:)

Just a warning, because this chapter is so late (sorry, I was attempting to get it up about 4 hours ago but our puppy was sick and I was the only one home :( ) tomorrow's chapter might be just a few hours delayed, but I'll try to not let it be :)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh we'll have quite the variety of moments to come ;) Let's just say the next chapter will see quite a shock for Snow in her beloved cousin }:)

I was torn about Belle too, I like her in Disney, but I wasn't much a fan of how pushy she was to have Gold be honest with her and change and be a better man. To me, she wanted him to be that, but she didn't accept him how he was. She wanted the good version of him and not all of him. She won't be a big roadblock to Dark Rose, but she'll be there at times :)


	9. The Doctor

The Doctor

In the Enchanted Forest, Piper, Emma, Mary Margaret, Mulan, and Aurora were heading back towards the camp from the palace. Piper was quiet as they walked, her shadow cloak tucked over her arm, not participating much in the conversations going on around her, not that Mary Margaret was either, which she knew was odd. She knew what was bothering her cousin so much though, it had been everything she'd said before in the castle. She always knew when her cousin was upset and she was, very much so right now. It was never her intention to hurt her, never ever, but she had to be honest with the woman. That castle had always been Snow White's home, a visiting and temporary refugee for her when she'd visit, but it was Snow White's castle. Much like her own castle was her home and later how the Dark Castle had been her home too.

Home was where the heart was and she did love her cousin very much but the person who held her heart, the person who made her home was Rumpelstiltskin. She had been with him for years before the curse had hit, and she wanted to spend years with him after it was broken. She knew that would hurt Mary Margaret to hear out loud though she suspected her cousin already assumed she'd be with Gold most of the time in the future to come. She had outright proclaimed him to be her true love and no matter what, after everything they had been through, Snow White would never begrudge someone being with their true love, nor would Mary Margaret.

She knew as well that Mary Margaret was upset because she hadn't come to her, she hadn't found her in the Enchanted Forest after Regina had been banished and let her know she was alive. She could have, she supposed, sent a letter via bluebird or something like that, but she hadn't. She knew what her cousin was like. Any single hint that she was alive and Snow White would have launched a massive search party. Even if she said in no uncertain terms that she was alive and happy and to leave her alone, Snow would still search for her to see for herself. She had her reasons for keeping her silence and she knew that was a conversation that she would have to have with Mary Margaret, one of many to come.

She sighed and rubbed her head a moment, feeling a headache coming on. Everything was a mess right now, especially the familial relationships between her and Emma and Mary Margaret. Emma was struggling to accept Mary Margaret as her other, she was struggling to work up the nerve to speak to her cousin about the past (which was quite the odd notion as she was quite unafraid of many things yet the thought of having to have an in depth conversation with her cousin about why she'd lied to her and let her think her dead was something she was dreading), and poor Mary Margaret was trying to fix the relationship with her daughter at the same time she was working on trying to help reconnect with her cousin.

It had to be so disconcerting for Mary Margaret especially. One minute she was giving birth to Emma, then the next she was essentially waking up to see her baby grown up and her baby cousin older than her. On top of that she had an entire second set of memories from the other realm to contend with. It was such a glaring gap for Mary Margaret, in a single instant the world around her had changed. For her and Emma though, 28 years had gone by, 28 years where they had grown and changed and adapted to the world. That was more than 30 years she hadn't been able to speak to her cousin and she was trying, so very hard to get back to where they'd been but…it was difficult, more difficult than she knew it should be.

She kept reverting back to being the Piper, because that was who she had been for over 30 years, instead of Snow White's cousin Rose Red, who she'd been for barely 20. Snow White had last known her as Rose, but everyone else knew her as Piper. That was nearly literally, only Snow and Regina had known her when she was Rose Red, well, them and Jefferson bug considering he'd only known her in passing, he couldn't be counted. It had been so long, so SO long since she'd been Rose Red, since she'd felt safe enough to be her that she had forgotten how to be her. She truly didn't think she could ever be her again, too much time had passed, she had grown up, grown stronger, grown colder, and was a different person now.

And it broke her heart because she knew that the person she as was someone Snow White would likely have difficulty accepting and that would make their relationship all the more strained.

"I don't know if I can do this," Aurora remarked as they drew nearer to the camp, "I'm not a very good liar."

"Oh, it's not really a lie, Aurora," Mary Margaret smiled at her reassuringly, "Lancelot _did_ die an honorable death, and Cora did escape. All true."

"There is a power in words," Piper agreed, "The right words in the right order with the right emphasis and intonation can change the minds of millions."

"And if worse comes to worse, we've got a mind altering flute player with us," Emma added, a hint of bitter sarcasm to her words, getting overwhelmed with all of this. She had read about magic and all that in Henry's book, she'd seen a portal opening, but to see Cora appearing in puffs of purple smoke and shape-shifting and all that…magic was starting to get to her.

"I play a pipe," Piper huffed, "Not a flute."

"Technically your pipe is pretty much a wooden flute," Mary Margaret remarked with a small smile, "You just like calling it a pipe."

"Whatever it is," Emma cut in, knowing how musicians could get in defense of their instruments, "Just leave the particulars to us. There's no reason to cause unnecessary panic amongst your people."

"I'm not so sure it's unnecessary…" Aurora began.

But Piper suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Mary Margaret frowned, knowing that expression on her cousin's face, no matter how much time had passed, she still had the same 'something's wrong' face, "Rose, what is it?"

"I cannot hear anything."

"Yeah, we're still pretty far from the camp," Emma shook her head, not seeing what the problem was.

"No but that is the problem, it is a camp," she turned to them, " A large group of people creates a sort of buzzing noise, all the different songs coming together when they should fade from my hearing. I cannot hear even that. There is NO sound in that camp."

"And the tower," Mulan pointed to a guard tower just a few feet away, no one looking down to check on the five of them approaching, "We always have sentries guarding the entrance. I fear you are right," she looked at Piper, before gesturing to the others as she pulled out her sword, "Stay close."

They quickly hurried to the camp, passing the guard tower and hurrying up a hill…only to stop dead in their tracks as they saw nothing but corpses littering the ground, all strewn across the field, every single member of the camp dead.

"Oh my God…" Emma breathed.

Mulan stared in horror, "This can't be…our land…we were protected here, hidden. How did the ogres find us?"

"The only one protecting this area was Cora," Piper remarked, looking down at the bodies, seeing Mary Margaret doing the same.

Mary Margaret crouched down and touched one's shoulder, seeing that their chests were bloodied, right over where their hearts were, all of them, every single body, but yet there were no wounds, "Ogres didn't do this," she breathed.

"What?" Mulan looked at her.

"It was Cora," Piper agreed.

"Their hearts," Mary Margaret swallowed hard as she stood, "They were ripped out. This is her magic, twisted and evil. We have to stop her."

"Too late," Mulan surveyed the scene, "If Piper is to be believed and there is not a sound here," she glanced at Piper who frowned and walked among the corpses, Mary Margaret wincing at how she was just striding over them without concern, "She killed them. She killed them all."

"Well, we have to stop her before she hurts anyone else!" Mary Margaret tried to speak.

"Over here," Piper called, Emma rushing over to see her crouching down.

"Hey!" Emma waved them over, "Hey! Look!"

There was a small pile of bodies scattered and mixed with debris from the small huts and buildings that had been burned to the ground, an arm sticking out of it that was waving at them.

"There's someone under there," Aurora realized.

"Your powers of observation are astounding Princess," Piper remarked dryly, moving with Emma to help pull the person out, realizing instantly that the man was missing a hand as there was just a stump there.

"He's alive," Aurora breathed in relief as the man was put on his back before them. He was tall, slim, with black hair and ear piercings, stubble across his chin in the hints of a beard, and clothed in the attire of the villagers.

Piper frowned at that, piercings like that did not appear on any of the other men in their garb, nor would they wish it nor afford things like that.

"Please…" he groaned.

"It's okay," Mary Margaret reassured him.

"Please, help me."

"It's ok. You're safe now. We won't hurt you."

"Thank you," he panted as they helped him sit, "Thank you…"

Piper just frowned as she watched Mary Margaret and Mulan help him up and over to a nearby table. She glanced at Emma, a small smirk quirking in the corner of her lips when she saw Emma seemed just as suspicious of the man as she was.

~8~

Mulan, Emma, and Piper stood a short distance away, watching as Mary Margaret and Aurora tended to the man that they'd found. He was still sitting at the table, the two women trying to make some sort of food and water to calm him down as he seemed quite jittery and in shock of what happened.

"Have you seen him before?" Emma asked Mulan.

"Yes," she nodded, though all their eyes remained fixed on the man, Piper's more focused on his missing hand, "I've seen him around. He's a blacksmith."

"A blacksmith that is missing a hand?" Piper shook her head, that would make that work quite difficult wouldn't it?

"He came to our camp a couple months ago. Said he lost his hand in an ogre attack. Why would Cora leave a survivor?"

"She would not," Piper mused, "One person out of all these here? Even if others tried to hide, she found them, she could use magic to find them. No," she shook her head, "He did not survive, he was LEFT here for a reason."

"You believe he is a trap?" Mulan guessed.

"I think Cora's tricked us before," Emma agreed, "I don't want that to happen again," she glanced at the women and nodded her head towards the camp, the three of them heading over with the water they had been tasked to secure, "Here you go," she placed the cup before him.

The man smiled up at them, "I can't thank you enough for your kindness. Fortune, it seems, has seen fit to show me favor."

"An island full of corpses," Emma eyed him, "You're the only one to escape. How exactly did that happen?"

"She attacked at night," he swallowed hard, "Slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop. When she started ripping out people's hearts, I hid under the bodies of those who had already been killed. Pretended to be dead myself. Mercifully, the ruse worked."

"So much for fortune favoring the brave."

"It was all I could do to survive!" he defended.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret," Emma leaned in to speak to him, looking him dead in the eye, "I'm pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me."

"I'm telling you the truth!" he insisted.

"You seem to forget," Piper remarked, "There are two here who have had experience and heard tell of Cora's magic, her abilities, and have met the woman herself at her full height of power. She would not spare anyone on a massacre such as this without a reason that goes beyond mere cowardice on your part."

"You think I was a part of this!?" the man gaped at her, seeming offended.

Piper just smirked, she was still part Siren, she could read his body language easily. Emma might just be able to sense when others were lying, but she could see it.

"We should leave here in case Cora decides to come back," Mulan cut in.

"We should start searching for one of the other portals back to Storybrooke that you mentioned Rose," Mary Margaret agreed, "I only got about five minutes with my husband, not to mention my grandson."

"You have a grandson?" the man blinked at her.

"Long story."

"Well, I know this land well," he smiled, "I can guide you."

"I know it better," Piper tsked, "And I know about portals. What use are you to us?"

"Information," Emma determined, pulling a dagger Mulan had given her out and holding it to the man's throat from behind, "You're not going to guide us anywhere, until you tell us who you really are."

Piper smirked and looked at Mary Margaret, "Impressive."

Mary Margaret just gave a tense smile at the sight of her daughter holding a knife to a man's throat and her cousin applauding her for it.

~8~

Piper stood beside Mary Margaret, the woman in between her and Emma, with Aurora nearby as Mulan tied the man to a rather large tree just outside camp. Her arms were crossed as she eyed him. She felt like she had a fairly good idea who this man was, given the rants that Rumpelstiltskin had sometimes gone on about said man, but she wanted to make sure. And she supposed, having this time to contemplate who he was and accepting that there was a chance he might be exactly who she thought he was would be helpful in keeping her from doing something rash.

Like kill him.

He might prove useful if he was who she thought he was, but first they'd need to get him to say his name. And then they'd have to find out what he was doing with Cora. Clearly he had to know the woman and be in league with her if he had been left alive despite her killing the entire camp. It had to be a ruse and a plan by Cora to gain their sympathy and trust, but that woman was far too arrogant for her own good if she thought they would fall for it. She had to pause at that thought though, she supposed she couldn't blame Cora for thinking that.

The last time she had seen either her or Snow White had been when they were 11 and 13, when they had both been innocent little girls, when she had been able to manipulate Snow White so easily into giving up Regina's secret about Daniel. Snow had trusted far too easily and Cora, being wherever she was, Wonderland she thought (given that Rumpelstiltskin had given Regina a looking glass to banish her mother through) hadn't had word of her or Snow for years now, decades really. She likely still assumed that Mary Margaret would be the same innocent and too trusting girl she'd dealt with in the past.

She was almost glad that Cora's time in their lives had been so focused on Snow and not her. She had manipulated Snow White and focused on her as Snow's father was the king that Regina would marry. Cora had hardly given HER a second thought past her being Snow White's cousin. Cora had no idea what she was like, Cora wouldn't know that she hardly ever trusted anyone. She doubted Cora would think that they'd be quite so suspicious of the man as to go to these lengths to find out who he was and what was going on.

"I already told you," the man pleaded, straining against the ropes as Mulan stepped back, finished, "I'm just a blacksmith."

"Sure you are," Emma scoffed, before whistling loudly, "You don't want to talk to us? Maybe, you'll talk to the ogres while they rip you limb from limb," they glanced to the side hearing a thumping in the distance, the growling of an ogre, "Come on," she turned to lead them off, though Piper remained standing.

"You…you can't just leave me here like this!" the man begged, making them pause.

"What if he's telling the truth?" Aurora frowned.

"He's not," Emma countered.

"Good for you," the man rolled his eyes, "You bested me. I can count the amount of people who've done that on one hand."

"That supposed to be funny?"

"Tell us your name," Piper cut in, getting to the point.

"Killian Jones," he grinned at her, making her stiffen, "But most people have taken to call me by my more colorful moniker…"

"Captain Hook," Piper's eyes narrowed.

"Ah," his grin widened, "So you've heard of me."

"Indeed I have," Piper took a few steps closer to him, "You truly should wish I had not."

Emma shook her head, moving to make another whistle to draw the ogres closer, when Piper held up a hand to stop her, "No," she shook her head, "The ogres would not be able to find him if he remained silent enough," she reminded Emma, "And we could stand here all day and have him spout lie after lie and wait for you to determine a scrap of truth within them."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Emma huffed, she just wanted answers, she wanted to know what Cora was planning and she wanted to get back to Henry.

"Well, there are quite a few tunes I know," Piper gestured at her boot, at her pipe, "One can induce a trance-like state where he is so relax the truth spills out. Or there is one that can compel him to speak the truth. There are the more colorful melodies that incite such agonizing torture that he shall be begging to tell the truth in mere moments. Or we could just do it the easy way."

"There's an easy way to get someone to tell the truth?" Emma scoffed, "What a truth potion?"

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of this," and before anyone could even blink, Piper turned and shoved her hand into Hook's chest…

And pulled out his glowing red, beating heart.

"ROSE!" Mary Margaret gasped, stumbling back, completely horrified at what her cousin had just done, that Rose Red had just done something she had seen the Evil Queen do to so many people.

"You know how to tear people's hearts out too?" Mulan frowned, moving closer to Aurora as though to protect her, a hint of suspicion in her voice, as though she thought Piper could be Cora in disguise again.

"Rumpelstiltskin is my true love," she said simply, glancing at Mary Margaret, "You cannot tell me you did not expect him to teach me a trick or two for if my music should ever fail me."

"But…THAT?" Mary Margaret shook her head, staring at Piper as though she didn't know her and realizing deeply, for the first time, that she really didn't, not anymore.

"Hold on," Hook groaned, "The Dark One is YOUR true love?"

Piper turned to him and smirked, "Yes, and," she added as he moved to open his mouth, "If you think you can turn me from him by mentioning his other trysts, you would be sorely mistake. For you see, he has told me of them all. Cora, Milah," she gave him a hard look for that, seeing his eyes widen, "Oh yes, Hook, I know exactly who you are and while I would take enormous pleasure," she slowly began squeezing his heart in her hand, the others watching in shocked silence as he grimaced in pain and struggled to breath, "In killing you right now for all the pain you have caused Rummy…" she released her grip on the heart, "I rather think he would enjoy killing you more," she gave him a hard look, "I shall leave you to _him_."

"Rose please," Mary Margaret pleaded, "Put his heart back."

She had seen it, just then, the look on Piper's face, the sound of her voice, the way she'd watched, literally watched Hook's life being crushed out of him on his face and still squeezed the heart more. She really would have done it. Her cousin would have killed the man and had no issue with it, wouldn't have cared at all, she would have crushed his heart into dust right before all their eyes and not thought a moment about how awful it was, how dark, how…evil. She'd heard it in her voice, the cold indifference at the thought of taking his life, the anger and bitterness of the reason she was doing it, and the want, the desire to actually end the man's life. For one split second she could tell that her cousin had had full intentions of doing it too, but only the thought of the torment Rumpelstiltskin himself would inflict on the man had gotten her to stop.

She felt sick as she stood there, staring at the heart glowing in her cousin's hand. She had just reached into a man's chest and pulled out his heart, had nearly crushed it, had caused him pain and not cared. She was still standing there holding it, ready to use it, ready to control the man before them and she just…she felt so ill and horrified to see her baby cousin like this. The look on her face, the indifference, the coldness, it was devastating to see. She still remembered her little cousin curled up with her head on her lap telling her in her own way that she was upset and hurt by the names others called her, she could remember sitting with her as butterflies landed on her, remember the smiling giggling face as they played a prank on the kitchen staff.

And the woman before her…that wasn't the same girl she remembered. And it broke her heart as the heavy realization hit her, she really wasn't the same girl.

Rose Red was dead.

All that was left was the Pied Piper, true love of the Dark One.

The cousin she had known was gone.

"I shall," Piper nodded, seeming to either be oblivious to the harsh reality her cousin had come to be hit with, or not caring (and Mary Margaret was truly hoping it was the first one, to know that her cousin didn't care for her any longer would kill her), "But after he tells us what we wish to know," she lifted his heart to her lips and whispered against it, "Tell us the truth of what Cora is planning."

She remembered this, from all the lessons Rumpelstiltskin had taught her about this method of magic. You could pull a heart out of someone's chest, gently if you wish to not cause harm but she wanted Hook to feel it. She wanted him to know that SHE held the power over him, that SHE was the one that could hurt him this time, she wanted him aware that one wrong move and he was dead. She also knew that, in doing this, in taking his heart, it became enchanted and stronger than a normal heart. But in doing this, she could control him, make him do her bidding, make him say what she wished, kill him if she wanted. But right now, she just wanted the truth.

Hook clenched his jaw, glaring at her, before stating, "Cora wanted me to gain your trust, so I could learn everything there is to know about your Storybrooke. She didn't want any surprises when she finally got over there."

"And how is she planning to get there if not the wardrobe?" Piper frowned, Cora had given the impression she hadn't known any way to Storybrooke as she'd been there for quite some time it seemed, likely the protection spell that had frozen them all coming apart as the curse started to break. If she had been free and hadn't thought of a way back in all that time, then she had to wait for THEM to come up with a way. It had to imply she knew little of portals.

"The enchantment remains," he told them, "Cora gathered the ashes. She's going to use them to open up a portal."

"Did you know this?" Emma turned to Piper, frowning.

"I knew the ashes could be used for something like that, yes," Piper nodded.

"And you didn't warn us!?"

"I was unaware that Cora would think to use them," Piper turned to Emma, "She knows little of portals. I did not think she would work out to use the ashes. A mistake I shall not make again."

"Why couldn't WE use the ashes then?" Mary Margaret shook her head, finally coming out of her thoughts.

"It would require a magic that we do not possess," Piper explained, "There was no point in taking the ashes when they posed no use to us. The only way that the ashes could be of use would be to take them to Lake Nostos."

"But the lake dried up."

Piper nodded, "And we have not the magic to restore the water to it," she agreed, "So you see why the ashes were not something I thought of. And why I believed a different portal would be better served for us to focus on."

Mary Margaret nodded. If they couldn't return the water, the ashes were useless. Piper hadn't known that Cora would think to use the ashes. Cora, on the other hand, COULD return the waters with her magic and if she had the ashes…she could make a portal.

"Now, if you'll kindly cut me loose," Hook cut in with a grunt.

"No," Mulan shook her head, "We should leave him here to die. To pay for all the lives that he took."

"That was Cora, not me."

"We shall take him," Piper nodded, "Rummy would wish to see him and in order to do that, he would have to come with us," she hummed to herself a moment, thinking about the portal, "A portal created from the ashes and the waters, should Cora choose that method, would require an enchanted compass to navigate between the worlds, to find Storybrooke…" she lifted the heart again, "Do you know the location of the compass?"

"Yes," Hook ground out.

Emma sighed, "Fine, he comes, but um…" she glanced at Piper, "You…um…keep that," she nodded to the heart, "Graham," she swallowed hard, "He said something that it controls people."

"Emma…" Mary Margaret frowned, NOT at all comfortable with the thought of keeping the man's heart from him.

"We need something as leverage to make sure he doesn't stab us in the back," Emma defended.

"Very good foresight," Piper agreed, putting the heart into a small pocket of the shadow cloak she had draped over her arm, not about to stick it in her boot.

"Cut him down," Emma turned to Mulan who sighed and moved to do so, Aurora helping her.

Piper glanced at Mary Margaret, the woman shifting in discomfort, and moved over to her, "Snow…"

"You tore out his heart," Mary Margaret repeated, shaking her head, "Why would you…no…how could you even…" she swallowed hard, trying to phrase her thoughts, "That wasn't your first time doing it, was it?"

"No," Piper said simply.

"Who…" she hesitated, not sure she want to know, "How many before?"

"Just one," Piper promised, "The one I removed when I was first taught how."

Mary Margaret nodded, only slightly reassured by that, "And who…who was it? Who did you…did you kill?"

"I did not kill them," she told her cousin, "I merely removed the heart and put it back."

"Oh," Mary Margaret let out a breath, feeling more relieved to know she hadn't ever crushed someone's heart, "Whose did you remove?"

Piper smiled, confusing Mary Margaret for a moment, before her answer shocked her even more, "Rumpelstiltskin's of course."

~8~

The small group trekked through the forest, Hook grudgingly following them, not that he had much of a choice at the moment, "Up ahead," he called, "We'll find the compass just over the ridge."

"Do you get the feeling he's leading us exactly where Cora wants us?" Mary Margaret asked Piper and Emma quietly, "That this whole thing's a trap?"

"He is leading us where the compass is," Piper nodded, she had ordered the heart to do that, "As for what shall be there when we go to claim it, that is something else."

"It's definitely a trap," Emma agreed, "But as long as we know they're trying to play us, we can…"

"Stay one step ahead of them," Mary Margaret smiled.

"Exactly," Emma trailed off as they came to the edge of the forest…only to see a giant beanstalk in the distance, "Let me guess, the compass is up there?"

"Oh, yeah," Hook nodded.

"So, how do we get to it?"

"I would suppose climbing it," Piper mused.

"It's not the climb you need to worry about," Hook remarked, "It's the giant at the top."

A/N: I know, psychologically, it might be alarming to see Piper partially do what Regina did in tearing out someone else's heart (like how Regina killed her father). But, in the grand scope, Regina herself saw her mother do that to her first love and later went on to do that very deed to so many others. So I think, after a time, Piper would be able to come to terms with it, with the act (not with what Regina did to her father) and use it herself. And she knows ALL about what Hook and Milah did to Gold so she's not exactly a fan of Hook right now :( But I can say we'll see a flashback chapter about Piper learning how to remove the hearts ;)

But there will be many talks between Mary Margaret and Piper about this, and about her past, I can say, contrary to what Mary Margaret is thinking at the moment, Rose Red isn't entirely dead, she's just very buried and sort of more morphed into Piper, she's evolved...like a Pokemon lol :)

Some notes on reviews...

Belle (Isabelle) will sort of stay away from Gold for a while, since she thinks he's just the mean landlord sort of person now. But we might see a time where her memories return and she might try some sort of 'you can be a better man' thing to Gold but we'll have to wait and see ;)

I do love the Rumbelle inspiration too, I agree that if she was less giving him threats and ultimatums and leaving him whenever he does something she's not happy with it would be better. Like...Gold should want to be a better man for her and not because she's telling him to be a better man sort of thing (if that makes sense lol). I am very interested to see Belle's reaction to what Gold did to Zelena and how he lied to her. That part about the finale bothered me, Gold (who, I think, is essentially or partially responsible for everything evil Regina's done in her life) got a happy ending even when he made no attempt at that last moment to redeem himself, and Regina who fought like hell to be better got the short end of the stick :/ In this story, it'll definitely be more that they do wrong and know they do wrong and accept the consequences when/if they come :) I'm really glad you're enjoying Piper so far ^-^ Oh I can say that Bae will end up rather fond of Piper eventually, but I think he'll start off very wary of her given that she semi-encourages the Dark One's darkness lol :) For August, I think Piper's under the impression that, with magic back, August has returned to his human form. She hasn't been able to see him since the curse broke, but when she finds out he's not with Marco and not human she'll be very focused on him :)

We'll find out in a flashback chapter how Rose got the scars }:) The fairies, at first, might not be aware that Belle lost her memories, it'll depend if Moe comes forward and tells them and if someone notices Belle isn't acting like Belle (but since not many knew her, that might not be an issue). We'll have to wait and see :) As for Hook...oh Piper will do all she can to make him miserable but also save the beat down for Rumple ;)


	10. My Heart, in Your Hands

My Heart, in Your Hands

Rumpelstiltskin stood at the window of his chambers, at night, looking out the glass at the forest below, illuminated by the full moon drifting high in the sky. It was a peaceful night, mostly still though there was the tender breeze that would drift through the trees and make them move for a short moment of time before settling them back to stillness. Seeing the leaves moving so softly, as though the wind were making them dance, were carrying the breeze through the leaves, it was like there was another force moving them. It reminded him of when he'd first met Piper, or Rose Red as he now knew she was truly called.

He frowned at that, turning to look over his shoulder at the woman lying on his bed, the Pied Piper, the lost princess Rose Red.

He should have realized it was her, he HAD met her before, after all, but it had been about a decade ago and with his immortality, a decade was nothing and a single meeting (or 2) drifted off in the vast recesses of his mind along with the other unimportant things. He should have known though. There was only so much a person could hint or drop clues about before another realized what they were trying to say without saying and yet he hadn't picked up on it. That was unlike him, he liked unraveling mysteries.

Though that might have been the reason why, in this case. He wanted to take his time, he wanted to savor the mystery. The girl in his bed, laying on her side with a hand absently resting on her stomach where a healing stab wound was hidden beneath the large white tunic of his own that he'd leant her, was an enigma to him. Perhaps he had thought that, to learn all about her, to work out the truth hidden in her past, would make her less interesting to him. Perhaps he'd feared that when all that had been revealed that he would grow board. He shifted even as he thought about it, a weight in his heart telling him, now that he knew her secrets, that it was not the case at all. There was still much to learn about the woman. He was quite certain that he could keep her around for decades more and still not know all there was to her.

That was something different between her and Belle, Belle was so open it was almost glaringly obvious what she thought or how she felt. She hid nothing from anyone, was so open and honest it was nearly boring. With Piper though…no, Rose Red…it was more difficult. He found himself actively studying her face at times, different areas and aspects of her face, so that he could learn to decipher the different smirks she had. Like the smirk she wore when she was truly surprised by something, or the smirk where she was teasing, the smirk where he'd done something she felt was sweet but would never say out loud because she knew that 'sweet' and 'the Dark One' were not words that went together in any sort of comfort for him, and then there was the smirk where something utterly wrong was going on, something that others would be screaming at, and she found herself nearly enjoying it. There were so many more, all of them minutely different, and THAT was the key. They were so slightly different that he had to study her to find out what they were and what they represented and to recognize them when they were given.

Piper held things in, she guarded herself, she came across as indifferent but truly if one only knew how to look at her properly they could see a range of emotion and thought and words in her. He liked that, he liked the challenge she presented to him. He liked that she was quiet at times and that she made him work to get to know her, that she made him work to earn her trust beyond just the deal he'd made with her. Now that he knew she was Rose Red all of that meant so much more to know that she DID trust him and that she loved him. Sirens were notorious in how difficult it was to seep into their hearts, to get under their skin. The fact that he had managed to gain her trust and love, even being half-Siren, was a miracle in itself and it just made him realize how much more of a treasure she was, how much more valuable and unique she was than some random princess from another kingdom.

He truly felt like he should have smacked himself for being so blind to the clues she laid bare to him about who she was. A cousin she called Frosty? He had argued it in his mind that Frosty could be any number of women in the various realms. There was Jadis, the witch of Narnia, Elsa, the Snow Queen, even Glinda the exiled Witch of the South (or perhaps that other one, the Witch of the North) could equally fill that description. It had been SNOW White after all though. The fact that the Queen was after her because her cousin had done something to her was another clue. The only one the Queen sought out with such a vengeance as to hunt the persons distant family to the edge of death was Snow White as well. But he'd chalked it up to her just being the last target of another vendetta the queen had, some sort of other enemy she'd made in someone on her quest to see Snow White dead. Her fixation on Snow White as well, in helping the woman find her true love, that should have been the biggest sign, why else would she care so much for the woman? He'd just thought that it was her way of seeking revenge against the Queen, knowing that Snow White would be stronger with her true love at her side and be able to reclaim the kingdom and banish the Queen so that she could stop running.

Beyond that, he had MET Rose Red when she had been but a child. He should have seen something in Piper that reminded him of that little girl, her blonde hair, her green eyes, the way she acted distant yet refined. The way that, even back then, she'd had an edge to her voice when she talked about other people that had done something wrong or to offend her, it was the same. He should have realized, especially with her affinity with music and songs. He had thought her description of a few of her songs and tunes that she used to lure people to her was familiar. He knew now that she used people's songs, like little Rose Red had remarked that his own song was 'nice,' a thought that made him quirk a small smile to recall, even then Piper had been drawn to him.

There were so many clues, so many obvious clues, yet he had argued each away as though to try and keep himself from actively realizing who she was. And that was just it, wasn't it, he didn't make the connection between her and Rose Red because she wasn't Rose Red to him, she was the Pied Piper, and that was all he knew her as. He truly didn't care who she was, it was what she was NOW that intrigued him, it was more a curiosity of what had come together in her past to make her who she was that had interested him and made him curious about her past, it made him think of her future as well, her future with him.

He let out a long breath at that, her future had nearly vanished only a short while ago. He had nearly failed in his deal to protect her, granted the deal had been about protecting her from the Queen he had taken it upon himself as time went on to make that more about him protecting her from danger in general. The thought of her hurt…it made his hearts clench painfully and made him feel like there was a weight on his chest making it hard to breathe. As he stood there and watched her sleeping he could help but think that Rose Red would be a lovely name, a niggling in his mind connecting the color with the blood that often came about when people crossed her…but after seeing her hand and her middle, seeing his OWN hand, covered in the substance, in that rose red color…he couldn't bear to think of her as Rose Red ever again. No, she was the Piper.

She was HIS Piper.

And he had to make sure that she was protected, no matter what, he had to make sure she'd be ok. He should have done this earlier, he should have made sure she'd be safer so much earlier. There had been times in the past where she'd been caught off guard, where she'd been captured (like when he'd given her that shadow cloak) or when others had caught her unawares. She always claimed that she could defend herself well enough, that so long as she had her voice at the least she could be safe. And each time she was hurt or taken from, she'd HAD her voice and it hadn't mattered. She'd only come to him because she knew the Queen would be out for blood and she would never be able to see an attack from the woman or her knights coming unlike when her own deals started to go south, then she could see it in others how to handle the situation.

And she'd failed this time too, she'd been stabbed, run through with a piece of metal, and she'd been bleeding. She'd nearly died and she had HAD her voice and her music and it did nothing to protect her.

No, he had to do something to make sure that if her music ever failed again, she could have another way to protect herself.

~8~

Piper blinked as she looked at Rumpelstiltskin, standing before her with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face, "You wish to teach me magic?" she asked, not entirely sure if she'd heard him correctly. He'd sort of rambled a bit for a few minutes there.

The gist of it she did catch though, something about how utterly rubbish her songs were when it came to saving her life and how she had an inherent magic within her that just needed to be tapped into and that she needed to know more magic than what she did to survive in the world. Or that was what she was sure he was trying to say, he really had rambled and gone in so many circles that she was quite certain he could have been talking about her needing a new instrument and that her magic would be stronger in another instrument and that she could do with some sort of weapon to help her out. She honestly wasn't sure which it was.

"Yes," he said simply.

Well that answered that question.

"Might I ask why?" she frowned.

"I believe I've explained it in depth Pip," he remarked, "You constantly claim that your music will save you and yet each time you've been injured your music hardly came into play. I cannot protect you from the queen and hold my end of the deal up if you die."

"This is about the deal?" she refrained from smirking.

She'd heard it in his voice the moment he mentioned it that it was all far too practiced. He was saying that because to say anything else would be to reveal too much. Not that she thought there was anything more he could possibly reveal to her besides telling her that he loved her and that, if he could, he'd marry her, only a few nights ago.

"You realize that, half the time I have been harmed and not used magic, it was not due to the Queen's knights," she added, "You have been upholding your end of the deal entirely. I see no reason to begin to fret now. Most mistakes I have made in the past were my own deals going south and nothing to do with the Queen."

"This is about your life Piper," he corrected instead, "And making sure it continues," he stepped closer to her, lifting his hand so that the backs of his fingers skimmed over the still tender wound on her stomach before it came to rest on her chest, right over her heart, "It is about keeping your heart beating."

She looked into his eyes, hardly even disturbed that he essentially had his hand a mere shadow's breath above her breast as she knew it wasn't his intention to touch her in that manner. He was reassuring himself in doing this, in placing his hand there, that her heart was indeed still beating in her chest, that she was still alive and not a ghost come to haunt him. She could see it in his eyes even now, a fear that she had only truly heard in his voice, he feared losing her.

She knew so many people would assume, as this was the Dark One, that this desire to see her live stemmed from a want to keep her power to himself, but she knew better. She knew him. He had studied her, she knew, trying to understand her and her expressions and her thoughts. She had done the same, she knew him. She knew what every shadow in his eye was, what every gesture he made meant, what every intonation of 'dearie' represented. She knew that this went beyond a lust for her power and an arrogance in controlling her magic, this was true, utter, pure fear for her life, for her.

He didn't want her to die and leave him.

"I understand not why you think I should be able to use magic," she remarked, "I have been offered it in the past, it never worked well. My magic is natural, it is in my blood, and it only works on the minds of others. I truly have no need to learn any other sort of magic."

"Humor me then," he nearly begged though the Dark One would never admit to it, but seeing her…every time he closed his eyes he saw her sinking to the ground, every time his hands caught his glance he saw them stained with her red blood, every time he so much as walked past his room or entered it or looked at his bed he saw her lying there struggling to cling to life.

"How so?" she wondered, inclining her head. She wasn't intentionally trying to be difficult for him. She genuinely didn't think this would work. Her father, when he discovered her magic had wondered if it was truly her being half-Siren and how it would be affected by other forms of magic. He'd called in a few spell crafters and wizards and students of magic to test her, to try and teach her, but her magic had always laid in her music.

"The magic I wish to teach you is not something others have tried, dearie," he smiled, his hand lifting off her chest to touch her cheek, "I can promise you that. The magic I wish to teach you may be quite a bit darker than you've experienced from teachers in the past," his smile morphed into a bit of a smirk, "And I should like to think I am a far better teacher than any other."

She titled her head to the other side, considering it, not many people alive could claim they had been taught by the Dark One, "And what if my magic does not react? What if it does not allow me to learn?"

"It will," he murmured, leaning in slightly, inhaling her scent. It was ironic to think about, she smelled slightly of roses naturally, a very faint smell, nearly covered in the other scents, but he could smell it. It was intoxicating, he always found himself wanting to be closer to her no matter how close he already was to her. One whiff, one touch of her skin and he needed more. He couldn't even remember when it had started, when he had begun to crave her touch and her closeness…

No, that as a lie. He remembered clearly when he'd wanted to touch her. When she'd shown him her scars, the scars she bore on her thigh. He had yet to discover where her other scars lied, the ones she had only mentioned but had never shown him. Touching those scars, that hard covering that had marred her skin…touching them and feeling the pain that had caused them, he had connected to her on a level he'd not experienced before, it had made him want the scars to be gone, to leave her skin unblemished and perfect. It had made him curious if other parts of her skin felt as soft as that of her healed flesh.

"And how can you be sure?" she questioned, lifting her head so her lips barely brushed his.

He closed his eyes, letting his forehead rest to hers, "Because I researched Sirens and their magics, and I believe I know a few tricks that would be compatible to your magic and allow it to manifest physically."

She blinked and pulled back slightly to look at him, shocked, "You studied Siren magic?"

He nodded, "I would study everything about you Piper," he told her, looking into her eyes, "I would spend the rest of my life studying and learning YOU."

She let out a little breath, there wasn't much actually written about Siren magic, more myths and legends about them. For him to delve that deeply into the actual magical aspect of it…he was truly invested in her, in helping her, in teaching her.

She nodded slowly, "Then show me the best you have," she challenged, "And we shall see how you fare as a tutor."

He lifted his other hand to touch her other cheek, cupping her face in his hands, "Thank you dearie."

She smiled, "Do not thank me yet," she warned, "I was a miserable student."

He giggled slightly at that but leaned in to kiss her, it wouldn't matter at all, because he was quite the patient teacher and he had never wanted to teach someone a trick or two more than he did her at that moment.

Never had he wanted to teach a student magic for the purpose of helping them either.

~8~

"It appears you lied to me Pip," Rumpelstiltskin remarked as he stood with his arms crossed, watching Piper perform the lasts of 4 tricks he'd taught her.

He had learned very early on that he would have to limit all he'd wanted to teach her. Her magic was unique, being half-Siren, it had taken her years to be able to build up her magic to the point where she was able to harness it the way she did, with music and her voice and her pipe. But all magic came with a price. Often it was the energy of the person using the magic and Piper had proven that within the first few attempts at his first trick when she'd collapsed, utterly spent, and had been laid up for two days without waking. Her music as such a part of her that it almost created an excess energy when used, but for her to attempt the raw energy of just her magic, of pulling it into a physical form or an attack, it was harder to do.

He'd had so many tricks and spells he'd wanted to teach her but he'd had to cut it back inordinately to ensure that he would give her things that she'd be able to do and use on a larger scale while still keeping enough energy to run from those that would harm her. He only had 5 tricks total now. The first was tiring for her and was more to be used in a single blast but was also something he doubted she'd ever use just out of preference. Creating a fireball. Fire was so intrinsically against water that it took a lot out of her to use and she didn't like it. She didn't like the heat and the flames, likely a part of being a Siren, she disliked fire. Candles were fine, a fire in a fireplace could be lovely, but to actually hold it in her hand alarmed her.

He'd taught her how to alter the appearance of something, to make herself appear as someone else. But it took her enormous focus and it would only last a minute or two, still that was a minute or two that she could use to escape. The third trick had been a little easier, to choke someone with just the force of will. Once he'd described it in terms of how it could be like causing someone to drown on dry land her magic seemed to react to that, allowing the sensation of just that, that someone was drowning. It wasn't even that they couldn't breathe but that they were literally drowning. The latest had been sparked by seeing how sapped of energy she'd been at first. It was partially based on her songs and music. It was more to focus her energy into her pipe instead of at someone else, letting the energy build and build and build and then flicking the pipe at something and sending the energy out in a bolt to destroy what it had been aimed at. She'd taken to that one VERY well.

Piper panted a little as she glanced at him, "I do not believe I ever have," she remarked, "Withheld the truth, but never fully lied."

He nodded at that, "You said you were a miserable student and yet you DID manage to learn a few things."

"Well you, the Dark One, seems to have told the truth," she countered, walking over to him and picking up a goblet from the table, drinking the water within it, "You are an exceptional teacher."

He grinned widely at that, "There is just one more trick I think would be useful for you to know Pip…and it may be the easiest yet."

"Oh?" she nearly scoffed, nearly. He'd said that about all the others and only the last had been easier for her to do, and it had involved her pipe and music so she had been expecting that to go well, "And what is that?"

He merely held out a hand to her, taking hers as she placed it into his without hesitation and tugged her closer, bringing her hand to rest on his chest, over his heart, "Rip it out."

She blinked, "I beg pardon?"

"Rip out my heart."

She blinked again, "Have you gone completely mad Rummy? Has my abysmal learning driven you over the edge?"

"Not at all," he had to smile at her attempts to try and joke, something he had only seen her truly do with him in the last month or so, "I am being entirely serious Pip. This is…the ultimate way to defend yourself," he patted her hand, "When you hold someone's heart in your hand, you hold their life, you have complete and utter control over them. You can bid them stop, bid them turn on their partners, even bid them to end their own lives. YOU can make them do whatever you wish."

"And you think my magic a match for something like that?" she wondered.

He nodded, "It is essentially the same principle as your music, is it not? Your music influences the mind to do as you wish. This," he squeezed her hand, "Is a more physical control. A control over the heart."

"Why you though?" she shook her head, "Could I not attempt on someone else?"

He nearly laughed at that, at how willing she was to actually DO it even if she was requesting someone else be her dummy to try on. It was quite unlike another pupil of his who couldn't bring herself to harm an innocent at first. This had nothing to do with innocents, he could see, Piper WOULD do it, had it not been for it being HIM he wanted her to do it on.

"You could," he agreed, "But I will not teach you how if not on me."

"If I fail," she began, "If I make an error, you could die."

"And you would be the Dark One," he shrugged, "And I would leave this world knowing you were truly safe."

She let out a breath at that, this wasn't about power, that was just an excuse to calm her, this was about trust, this was about him trusting her with his heart. He had given her his dagger, he had given her control of his magic and now he wanted to show her he trusted her with his life as well.

"How do I do it?" she murmured, staring into his eyes.

He squeezed her hand once more, "You feel the heart beating," he pressed her hand more firmly to his chest, "You call your magic to your hand and…" he gave her hand a push and it sunk into his chest, her hand immediately around his heart but so feather light it merely felt like a warmth encasing it, "You can be gentle as you simply pull it out, or you can rip it out. Whichever you wish depending on the pain you wish to cause."

Piper nodded, still looking right into his eyes as she slowly and gently pulled his heart out with a care he had rarely seen her bestow upon anyone else but himself. She only looked away when her hand as completely out of his chest and holding the blackened lump in her hand. She looked down at it, the pulsing black organ with small streaks of red in it, beating in her hand, and yet Rumpelstiltskin was still standing before her, alive.

"I have seen this done before," she murmured, staring at the heart in her hand, "To kill another, you crush their heart into dust."

"Yes," he nodded, thinking of a few times she had walked in to see him with another's heart in his hands, thinking that she as referring to that. For once, with his gaze locked on his own heart in her hand, he missed the sorrowful expression on her face that would have indicated it was NOT the experience she was talking about, "My heart, in your hands," he mused, "In more ways than one."

Piper smiled slightly at that before looking up at him, "Is there a certain way to control another with their heart?"

He nodded, lifting her hand so that the heart was even with her mouth, "You whisper what you want the owner of the heart to do," he told her, "And they shall do it."

She looked at him a long while as he didn't let her hand go and realized he was trusting her to control him. She knew that she had control of him given the dagger in her boot, but this was another matter entirely. She slowly pulled the heart closer to her mouth, "Do that which you desire to do the most at this moment."

She had hardly been able to finish her statement before his mouth descended on hers in a deep, bruising kiss that nearly made her drop his heart from the suddenness of it. She kissed him back with equal fervor, secretly delighting in the knowledge that this was what he wanted to do the most right at that very second, that he'd wanted to kiss HER more than anything. It made her heart pound in her chest for the duration of the kiss, left her breathless when he pulled away though he kept his face as close to hers as when he'd first asked her to allow him to teach her.

"And that…" he breathed, sounding as breathless as she felt, "Is why it had to be me," he murmured, pulling away to look at her, "This…" his hand closed around hers as it still held his heart, "Is why it will only ever be you for me Piper."

Piper felt the breath leave her as she saw the reason in his eyes. He had given her his dagger, trusted her with it knowing she could command him to do anything with it, and yet she'd just stuck it in her boot, intent to protect it so that no others could control him in such a manner. And now…he'd trusted her with his heart, he'd given her control over him in the same way and left it to her to decide what to do. And still, in a similar fashion, she had refused to use it to command him to do something against his will but gave him his will back in that moment. She'd used his heart to give him essentially his heart's desire. She STILL hadn't used the control she had over him against him.

And THAT was what this was, this was to prove to them both that they were right and they were true. She let him be who he was, even with utter control over every facet of his being, she still gave him freedom.

"This," she swallowed hard, her voice unusually thick with emotion, as she held up the heart, "Is why you are the only man I love Rumpelstiltskin," she added, "No other would trust me with such a treasure."

He smiled at that, his hand lightly grabbing her wrist as she moved to put his heart back in his chest. He tugged her hand up when it was finished and kissed her palm, "No other would think the heart of the Dark One to be a treasure worth anything."

"YOU are worth everything to me," she told him.

"You are worth more to me," he countered, leaning in to recapture her lips once more, his mind wandering back to the small potion he'd made after Snow White had lost her love for her Charming.

The potion was right…this was love in its truest form.

A/N: I really wanted to show a sort of other side to the Piper-ripping-out-Hook's-heart moment and show that, at times, it can be a show of trust too :') I wanted to show how differently Rumple taught Piper compared to how he taught Regina :) But also how different the students were as well :)

Some notes on reviews...

We'll find out very soon who goes up the stalk ;)

Belle might keep her distance if she gets her memories back. Her last encounter with Piper wasn't a pleasant one and she knows Rumple won't protect her from Piper. I can say she won't try to sabotage them, but we'll have to wait and see what she might ;)

Yup, Rumple trusts her not to use his heart against him, like he trusts her not to use his dagger against him either :') I can say that it will be James and not David, but I won't say when it'll be coming ;) True, Rumple did suffer for a while trying to get back to Bae, I feel like Regina sort of suffered more as the extent of what she did was more obvious than Gold. He struck me as the sort to manipulate one person at a time to try and nudge the timelines into place, Regina slaughtered entire villages because of the 'monster' Rumple made her into. I feel sort of like Regina deserved a happy ending more because she'd essentially been manipulated her entire life to become what she was and fought to break away from that, whereas Rumple was the one doing the manipulating :/ But I agree, Regina strikes me as the stronger of the two, she does have quite the resilient heart ;)


	11. Tallahassee

Tallahassee

In the Enchanted Forest, the small group of survivors reached the base of the beanstalk. It had taken two days to get to it as they'd had quite a distance to reach it. It was much bigger when they finally had which was why it was so visible from so far away. It went up as far as the eye could see, clear through the clouds.

"It's a little freakier than I remember from the story," Emma muttered as she eyed it. It looked like a giant green tree trunk with vines and leaves wrapped around it.

"Reminds me of death," Mulan offered.

"Encouraging," Mary Margaret sighed.

"Reminds me of James," Piper breathed, a bitter note in her voice.

Mary Margaret stilled at that and looked at her, "James?" she frowned, "As in…David's brother?"

"James as in the ponce who tried to wed us both," Piper nearly pat, "The arrogant princeling. He deserved a worse death than he received. I should have made him suffer instead of made him calm."

Mary Margaret gaped at her, "YOU killed James?" she breathed, "I thought he was wounded in a duel!"

"He was," Piper nodded, "He let his guard down too early."

The smirk on Piper's face took Mary Margaret's breath away as she realized WHAT had likely lulled his guard down, "Why?"

"How else could the course of true love be set in motion," Piper glanced at her.

"You…" Mary Margaret swallowed hard, "You killed a man so that David and I could meet?"

"I killed no one," Piper shook her head, technically she hadn't physically killed him herself, "His enemy took care of that, I merely created the opportune moment."

Mary Margaret stared at her as Piper returned to looking back up at the stalk, "What happened to you Rose?" she whispered, the more she learned about her cousin, the less she saw her cousin in her.

"Life, Snow," she murmured, "Our kingdoms fell, we both experienced a different life after that."

"But…"

"You had allies," Piper cut her off, "You had friends and Dwarves and wolves and fairies. You were never alone Snow. That was not so for me."

Mary Margaret hesitated before asking, "What…what DID you have?"

But Piper was silent, and that…that hurt Mary Margaret more than hearing about it. Because Rose Red would tell her everything, she'd always be the one her cousin came to when she was hurt or upset or when something was bothering her. For Piper to stand there and not speak a word about what she endured…all it did was bring up terrible questions in her mind as to why. Was it that she didn't trust her anymore? Was it that she just didn't want to talk? And…if it was the last one, how terrible had it been that she couldn't even speak of it to HER? What had happened that had changed her cousin so much that she would become who she was now?

"Well," Hook cut into the family moment, "Your compass awaits," he gestured at the stalk, "Shall we?"

"Wait," Emma held up a hand, "If these beans create…portals, why not just pick one and go home? Why the compass?"

"There are no more beans," Piper stated, "And any that exist would be too heavily guarded for us to acquire easily and without months of preparation."

"Whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong," Hook agreed.

"There was a guy named Jack," Emma began, "And a cow, and something about evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose. Or harp."

"Sounds like a lovely tale," Hook rolled his eyes, "But the truth's a little bit more gruesome. The giants grew the beans, but, rather than use them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack, was a man who fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants. The beans were destroyed by the giants as they died. If they couldn't have their magic, then nobody could. It's really very bad form."

"And completely and utterly false," Piper shot Hook a glare that actually made the man frown at how vehement she sounded, "The giants were peaceful, they merely stayed within their land because the humans were greedy sniveling monsters who would sooner plunder and slaughter THEM than befriend them. They stayed in their realm but one was curious and came to the forest to see what humans were truly like. He was tricked into believing them friends and they followed him up the beanstalk. Jack, the WOMAN, and an army attacked them. THEY slaughtered the giants who burned the beans so that the humans, led by their greedy princes, would not be able to go to other lands and pillage them."

"Hold on," Emma shook her head, "Jack's a girl?"

"Jacqueline," Piper countered, "She died."

"So Giants may or may not be evil, Jack's a girl, and magic beans make portals," Emma stated sarcastically, "Right. So why doesn't anyone just go up and grow some more?"

"Because one giant survived," Hook repeated, "The strongest and most terrible of them all. And we'll have to get past him to…"

"The magic compass," Mary Margaret sighed.

"Indeed. The treasure remains, and amongst it is the compass. Now it will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can't find your land without the compass. Once we get it, steal the ashes from her and we're on our way."

"How do we know you're not just using us to get the compass for Cora?" Mulan frowned.

"Because he cannot," Piper reminded them, patting the pocket of her shadow cloak, "So long as I have his heart, he cannot betray us."

"Not that I would have," Hook rolled his eyes, "You five are far safer company even with the heart ripping," he shot a glare at Piper, "And the threat of handing me over the Dark One. I'm actually looking forward to that moment. I'd have sworn allegiance to whomever gets me there first."

"Then we'd better start climbing," Emma glanced at the stalk.

"You may have a hard time of it," Piper cut in, "After the siege, the stalk was enchanted to repel intruders."

"Alright, so how do we get up there?"

"I've got a counter spell from Cora," Hook offered, holding up his wrists which were tied together from when they'd released him, "If you'd be so kind?" Mary Margaret untied him and he held up his wrist to show them a cuff glowing on it, "Thank you, milady. I've got one more of these. Cora was to accompany me. So…which one of you five lovelies shall take her place? Hmm? Go on, fight it out. Don't be afraid to, you know, really get into it."

"Do not tempt me into crushing your heart too early Hook," Piper shot right back, making his jaw tense at that. She knew, she could see it in his face, he wanted nothing more than to kill her where she stood (or kill her in front of Gold) but he couldn't very well do that while SHE had control of his heart.

"All due respect," Mulan turned to the women, "I'm the best equipped to go. How many wars have you been through?" she eyed each of them.

"My share," Mary Margaret stated.

"It should be me," Aurora shook her head.

"You?" Mulan nearly scoffed, "You haven't fought in a battle."

"This is about us getting home to our loved ones," Mary Margaret frowned at Aurora, "Why would you…"

"Because I have no loved ones," Aurora stated, "If I fail, you can still go on."

"It's me," Emma cut in, "I'm going, and I'm not going to fail."

"You're new here," Mary Margaret shook her head.

"It's about getting back to Henry. I don't care what I have to face," Emma stated, before seeing that Mary Margaret was silent, "You're not going to argue with me?"

"Would it do any good?" Mary Margaret smiled wryly.

"No."

"I shall go with you," Piper offered, "I can keep you safe. And I shall not see you alone up there with Hook."

"He's only got two cuffs," Emma reminded her.

"And I have my cloak," Piper held it up, before swinging it over her shadows, "It is meant to leave me undetected, it works on numerous detection charms and repulsion enchantments. So long as I wear it, I can go with you."

"Then let me borrow it," Mary Margaret offered, "She's my daughter."

"And it is my cloak."

"Rose…if anything happens up there…"

"Emma will forever be safe, Snow," Piper promised, "I would no sooner see her harmed than I would you."

"But…you CAN'T go."

"Why not?"

"Because I couldn't bear it if you died again!" Mary Margaret shouted, before taking a breath, "I just…you let me think you were DEAD Rose. For so many years, I thought you were dead. And…even after Regina was deposed and banished you STILL let me think that! I had a funeral for you. I had a grave made for you. I mourned you and all that time you were alive and I can't go through that again," she tried not to cry but Piper could see the tears in her eyes, "Why did you do it Rose?"

"I had to give you your best chance at survival Snow," Piper told her quietly, "If you had even a hint, even a hope that I lived still…Regina could have used it to lure you into a trap. And you cannot deny that if you thought me alive you would not have stopped looking for me no matter what. You would search, you would be distracted, you would be an easy target to her as she would have preyed on your hopes. I could not let your love for me be your doom."

"And after?" Mary Margaret shook her head, "When she was banished, why didn't you come home?"

"I found a new home," Piper said simply, "I could not let you use me to lure Rummy to you."

Mary Margaret stared at her, "You thought we'd use you as BAIT?!" she sounded utterly crushed that her cousin would think that of her, that she'd be nothing but a tool to them and not her cousin.

"Not YOU," Piper replied calmly, "Your prince though, your guards, your people? Those are another question entirely. Snow…" she sighed, "You realize your prince and you used a pregnant 19 year old girl to lure Rummy into his prison? You were THAT desperate to capture him. I could not risk that I would become a pawn in the hunt for him. He is…everything to me Snow, as your Charming is to you. As I could not risk your life in telling you I lived, I could not risk his either."

"So you stayed away to protect him," Snow breathed, realizing that there was a grain of truth and logic in that. They HAD been so desperate that they'd used Cinderella to lure him out. She had been pregnant, not even a true adult yet, and they'd sent her off alone into a trap. She knew that SHE would never have ever allowed her cousin to be used in a similar method…but Piper was right, she was one person and she couldn't trust that the others around her wouldn't do it without her consent.

"I did," Piper nodded, "And I will stay with Emma and protect her as well. Snow," she reached out and took Mary Margaret's hand, "This will work, we shall return to you safely, the both of us. I swear it to you."

"How can you tell though?" Mary Margaret shook her head, "There's still a giant up there, a giant whose family was attacked by humans and…"

"Trust me Snow," Piper cut in gently, "Can you still do that? After all I have done to you? Can you still trust me, with Emma's life?"

"With my own as well," Mary Margaret whispered. No matter what, no matter what Piper had done, she was still her cousin, and she would always trust her. Just like she would always trust Charming.

"Then believe," she smirked a bit, "I do believe that is what you are best at?"

Mary Margaret smiled slightly, "Ok."

"So it's the three of us then?" Emma asked after a moment, not wanting to interrupt the family resolution moment, or one of them anyway, but really wanting to get that compass and get to Henry, "You, me, and Hook?" she looked at Piper.

"It appears so," Piper nodded.

Emma turned to Mulan, "Anything in that bag that's going to help us with a giant?"

Mulan searched through Hook's satchel and pulled out, "A hook?"

"Hey!" Hook tried to reach out and grab it, but Mulan pulled it back.

"Come with me," Mulan pulled Emma to the side as Piper set about fixing her cloak around her.

"You really were that eager to come with me, love?" Hook tried to grin at Piper, though she could see the sneer behind his words.

"Taking you up a beanstalk, to where my cousin cannot prevent me from crushing your heart if I so desire?" Piper countered right back, "Yes, I would say I am quite eager for that moment."

Hook's sneer turned into a full glare before he rounded on Emma, "Ladies," he called, "In this world, we are slaves to time. And ours is running out. In other words, tick tock."

Emma rolled her eyes and walked back over, holding up her wrist, "Just get on with it."

Hook pulled off the second cuff from his stump and fixed it around Emma's wrist, "This will allow you to climb. There are other dangers. Thankfully, you've got me to protect you."

"And I to protect you from HIM," Piper shot him a glare.

"Well you can't do that if I'm not up there," Hook fired back, "I can't climb one-handed, can I?" he held up his stumped arm.

Emma turned to Mulan and she handed over the hook, "Don't think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second," she warned as she gave Hook the metal.

"I would despair if you did," he smirked.

Emma shook her head at that and looked at Piper, "Let's go," she ordered softly and the three of them began to climb the stalk.

~8~

The trio had reached the upper part of the beanstalk, but still had quite a way to go yet, "First beanstalk?" Hook called down to Emma, Piper had already gotten a few feet above them, "Well, you never forget your first. You know, most men would take your silence as off-putting, but I love a challenge."

"I'm concentrating," Emma huffed.

"No, you're afraid," Hook laughed, "Afraid to talk, to reveal yourself. Trust me, things'll be a lot smoother if you do."

"You should be used to people not trusting you."

"Ah, the pirate thing. Well, I don't need you to share. You're something of an open book."

"Am I?" Emma scoffed.

"Quite. Let's see…you volunteered to come up here because you were the most motivated. You need to get back to a child."

"That's not perception. That's eavesdropping."

"Ah, but you don't want to abandon him the way you were abandoned."

"Was I?"

"Do not listen to him Emma," Piper called down, "Everyone in the Enchanted Forest is aware of your birth and the circumstances around it as well as how the curse was meant to be broken. That is nothing more than assumption, not perception."

"Oh I think it IS perception," Hook countered, "I spent many years in Neverland, home of the Lost Boys. They all share the same look in their eyes…the look you get when you've been left alone. I see it in you too," he added to Piper.

"Yeah, well, my world ain't Neverland," Emma countered.

"But an orphan's an orphan," Hook looked down at her, "Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? You ever even been in love?"

"No," Emma ground out, "I have never been in love."

"And what about you?" Hook turned to look up at Piper, "You truly believe the Dark One could ever love you as his true love?"

"Oh he has proven it," Piper delighted in telling him, in thwarting his plans to try and make her question Gold.

"Oh yeah?" he scoffed, "How, flowers and jewels?"

"Bottled love and true love's kiss more like it."

Emma nearly laughed when she saw Hook falter at that, clearly NOT expecting that last one.

~8~

They had finally reached the top of the beanstalk, climbing up into a giant, disused looking castle courtyard. It was enormous, truly making them feel as though they'd been shrunk, but dusty and abandoned looking. Some of it even appeared to be crumbling.

"What happened here?" Emma breathed, brushing off her pants.

"What always happens when there is a battle," Piper remarked, "Destruction."

"Give me your hand," Hook turned to Emma.

"What?" Emma stepped back, Piper looking over at them.

"Your hand," he rolled his eyes, "It's cut," he nodded down to it where she'd cut it on a thorn a few minutes ago, "Let me help you."

"No, no. It's fine."

"No, it's not."

"So, now you're going to be a gentleman?" she scoffed.

"You should allow him," Piper spoke, startling Emma, but she was looking between Hook and Emma in curiosity, before she sighed, "Giants can smell blood and I cannot heal."

"And I'm always a gentleman," Hook added, taking her hand and uncorking a bottle of rum, pouring it on her hand.

"Ah!" Emma hissed, trying to pull her hand away, "Ow! What the hell is that?"

"It's rum. A bloody waste of it."

"Here," Piper stepped over to her, tearing a piece of cloth from her clothes and wrapping Emma's hand, knowing Hook would only waste time doing it with one hand.

"Now here's the plan," Hook began, "We wait for the giant to fall asleep. And when he does, we'll sneak past him into his cave. It's where the treasures are, where the compass lies."

"And then?" Emma gave him a look.

"And then we run like hell."

"Or we could, perhaps, merely ask the giant for the compass and explain it is for a return home instead of pillaging," Piper remarked.

"Yes, and then we could sit down to tea with the brute," Hook rolled his eyes, "You are not living up to your name, oh Pied Piper. I'm surprised you didn't suggest we just slit his throat in his sleep instead."

"I am not one for throat slitting," Piper countered, making Emma shift in discomfort at how and what they were talking about, "I prefer internal bleeding and hemorrhaging."

"Ok, chuckle brothers," Emma cut in, "We don't have time to wait for a giant to fall asleep and we don't have anything that would be able to kill it before it wakes. I have a powder Mulan gave us, we need to use it. We got to knock him out."

"Well, that's riskier," Hook mused.

"Than waiting for a giant to fall asleep when we need him to?"

"Point taken."

"We DO have a weapon though," Piper mused.

"We do?" Emma frowned.

"Jack, had a sword that had a poisoned blade,'" she pondered it, "It could kill Giants."

"Where is it?" Hook asked.

"I suggested a pacifistic plan and you expect me to tell you where the Giant killing sword is? I am hardly going to tell you."

"Look, we are not killing anyone, end of discussion," Emma cut in.

Hook grinned at her, "Oh, you're a tough lass. You'd make a hell of a pirate."

Emma glanced at him in a scoff, and nodded to his wrist, "Who's Milah on the tattoo?" she asked, having caught a glance of it when he poured the rum on her hand.

"Someone from long ago."

"Where is she?"

"She's gone."

"Rummy killed her," Piper said easily, far too easily for Emma to really be comfortable with it, "Tore out her heart and crushed it in front of poor old Hook."

"That's why you want to kill him," Emma realized.

"Aye," Hook glared at Piper for saying that, for revealing it.

"She deserved it," Piper added darkly.

"Don't you dare…" Hook nearly lunged for her.

But Piper held up his heart, stopping him, "She deserved it for what she and you did to him."

"What'd they do?" Emma frowned, looking between them.

"Hook, whether he seduced her or not, took Milah with him on his ship and off they sailed to have adventures."

"And?" Emma shook her head, not understanding.

"Milah was Rummy's WIFE," she told Emma, a hard look in her eyes, "The mother of his child. And she was a coward and a harlot, a woman who fled her responsibilities and had a tryst with a pirate for adventure. She abandoned them, she let them think she was being kidnapped and then killed. And when Rummy found her again, found that she had gone willingly, left not just him but their child…you can guess what he did in revenge."

"Yeah," Emma swallowed, "I got it."

"Still," Piper tilted her head, putting Hook's heart into her pocket, "I suppose it was all for the best that she left with you."

"Oh?" Hook nearly spat at her, thinking she meant that it was good she'd left and died.

"Had it not been for that…Rummy would still be married and he would not be the man he is now," she mused, "He would not be with me. So I suppose I shall not crush your heart just yet," she smirked, "Think of it as having my thanks."

Emma sighed and rubbed her head, seeing the murderous glance Hook was casting Piper, this was going to go south, very fast, wasn't it?

~8~

Piper was hanging off of a torch sconce in the wall, quite a good distance above Emma, the torch luckily unlit, as Emma sat on top of a statue below her, right by the doorway to a hall. Hook was on the ground, by a shield and holding a bone in his hand, Emma with the poppy powder in her hand, ready to use it on the giant.

"You ready?" Hook called up to them.

"Yeah!" Emma shouted back, and Hook immediately started banging the bone on the shield, using the noise to draw the giant out. Emma's eyes widened as a rather plump man with a beard came stomping out of the door way…very much taller than the statue she was on, "Oh, damn it!"

"Emma toss it here!" Piper shouted above her.

Emma looked up, seeing that Piper was actually level with the Giant's head and shut her eyes for only a moment, she'd claimed that she could jump down onto the giant if need be from there, but not it seemed as though she'd been up there because she knew that the Giant was that tall. She quickly threw the pouch of powder up to her, Piper grabbing it, luckily on the first throw, and chucking it at the Giant's face…knocking him out as it exploded. Hook jumped back as the Giant fell to the ground.

"He's out cold," Hook called up as the dust settled, "I don't mean to upset you, Emma, but I think we make quite the team."

Emma shook her head and looked up, seeing Piper lowering herself from the sconce via a rope she'd used to climb up to it. The two of them tied it to the statue and used it to lower themselves down to the ground by Hook as well.

"The treasure room is that way," Piper pointed and started to lead them off.

"How do you know?" Emma rushed after her.

"The same way I knew that the giant was taller than that."

"And how's that?"

Piper glanced at her, "I was here before," she turned a corner before Emma could say another word and they slipped through a crack in the doorway to see they were in the treasure room.

"You were here before?" Emma stared at her.

"Indeed," Piper nodded.

"Like, before before? With Jack?"

Piper's lips pursed at that, "Who do you think killed her?"

Emma blinked as Piper stepped further into the room, she was starting to think her…whatever Piper was to her relatively speaking, was completely insane, talking about murdering and heart crushing and jeez.

"This is where the giants kept their greatest treasures," Piper called as she led them on, "The compass would be in here."

"Let's get to it," Emma nodded, shaking herself out of her thoughts for the moment.

"What's your rush?" Hook grinned.

"How long do you think magic knockout powder lasts?"

"I have no clue."

"_That's_ my rush."

"Too right, lass," Hook sighed and they all got to work, searching through the piles, "If you've been here before, don't you know where the compass is?"

"I said I was here, I never said I was given an entire tour of where each scrap of gold or jewel was," Piper called back, "That would be why I recommended we leave Anton awake."

"Anton?" Emma shook her head.

"The giant?"

"Yes."

"His name is Anton? A giant named Anton?"

"Yes," Piper glanced back at her, "Ogres even have names, humans name their animals. Does it surprise you that an oversized human has a name?"

"Um, no," Emma frowned, not having thought of it like that, before sighing, "Well, Anton's asleep, so how are we going to find a compass in this mess?"

"By looking," Hook suggested, "Start searching. I wonder how much treasure we could carry down the beanstalk," he trailed off as they both shot him a look, "…in addition to the compass, of course."

"What the hell is that…" Emma frowned moving over to a skeleton on the ground, a sword just a few feet away, 'Jack' carved into its blade."

"I believe that would be Jacqueline," Piper remarked dryly…before stepping over the body and continuing on, though Emma picked up the sword just to be safe. If Piper had been there before, if she had killed Jack as she alluded to before…well, she wasn't sure what that meant. She could have been a friend of the giants, but she made it seem like the humans had attacked, so maybe it had been a tiff between the two women or something. Whatever the case was, they couldn't be sure Anton would react kindly to Piper.

"Watch out for the wire," Piper called, stepping over one ahead of her, bringing their attention to it.

"Quite a security system," Emma looked up, seeing a large cage was attached to the trip wire, before starting to look around again, "So it's just…in here somewhere?"

"Allegedly," Hook muttered, before seeing a small box of some sort, well small by giant standards, "Give me a boost would you, love?"

"So I can't see what you're pocketing?" Emma scoffed, "No way. You give me a boost."

"Try something new, darling. It's called trust."

"We do it side by side and fast."

"Or you could both just stop," Piper cut in.

"We have to find the compass."

"Actually, we have to run," Piper said, and then they could hear it, the sound of thumping, large footsteps in the distance.

"Someone's up," Hook realized, "Quickly. Get under something!"

But just as they turned to try and hide, the Giant, Anton, ran into the room, a glare on his face, his heavy footfalls causing debris to fall from the ceiling, nearly crushing Hook.

"Hook?" Emma turned, but the giant had reached her, lunging for her and grabbing her in his hand, lifting her up, "I'm not what you think!" she tried to reason with it as Piper looked around, knowing that the man would have trouble hearing her from down there.

"You're a thief, and you poisoned me!" Anton shouted, "So yeah, I'm pretty sure you're exactly what I think."

"No. Look, you have a compass. I need it."

"I don't care what you need," he started to squeeze her, cutting off her air.

"No, for my son! To save my son! Don't you have a family?"

"No. Because humans killed them all!" he tightened his grip even more.

"Anton!" Piper's voice called, standing atop the tallest pile of gold she could find.

Anton's grip on Emma loosened in shock as he spun around, nearly making the room spin to Emma with the move, "Piper?!" he stared at her, quickly dropping to his knees to be closer in height to her, "You're alive!?"

"Hello Anton," Piper nodded, "I am."

"I'm so glad," he smiled at her, tears in his eyes, "I know you were trying to find a way to escape that prince, I was worried he'd captured you again and you were his prisoner once more. I…I couldn't come search for you. Not after…"

"I know," Piper gave him a sad smile, Emma looking between them, completely confused as to how they knew each other, but immensely relieved that they seemed to have a good relationship, "My apologies, my most sincere ones, that I could not help save more of your family."

"You avenged my brothers," Anton shook his head, "You stopped Jack."

"Then I should like to ask that you extend the same courtesy to my niece and release her?" Piper nodded at Emma.

Anton blinked, "This is your niece?" he held Emma up to right in front of Piper.

"Yes," Piper nodded.

"Sorry!" Anton offered, quickly letting Emma go and setting her down beside Piper on the gold, the girl stumbling a bit, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It is not a problem Anton, many thanks for letting her go," Piper offered.

"Why are you here Piper?" Anton asked, shaking his head at her, "And why did you knock me out? I thought we were friends."

"We are," she nodded, "You know how stubborn I am?" he nodded, "My niece is the same. There are…many stories of what transpired here, the truth is not the most well known. She was unsure whether to trust a giant."

"Oh," Anton sat back on his legs, distressed at that, frowning, "Does she trust me now?" he asked hopefully.

Piper smiled, "I believe she does," Anton had been the kindest soul she'd met besides Snow White. He had seemed to latch onto her unhappiness and had tried to make her smile again the last time they met. To hear that she had a niece, he would be the sort to want to be Emma's friend too. She took a breath, "Anton, Emma and my cousin, Snow White, we were in another realm. All our friends and family are there too and we need to get back to them. Emma especially must return to her son. I know you understand what it is to wish reunion with family. You have a compass that we need to get back to them. Could I ask you that we borrow it?"

"The humans killed my family," Anton murmured, but Piper grabbed Emma's arm to keep her from speaking, knowing it wasn't him saying no, but him thinking of how he lost his family and how he didn't want others to lose theirs too, "I understand," he nodded, and pulled the compass out of his pocket, holding it in front of Piper to take.

"Many thanks Anton," Piper smiled and took it.

"You tried to save my family," he smiled sadly at her, "The least I can do is try to get you back to yours."

"What's that?" Emma pointed at a necklace Anton was wearing, what looked like a shriveled up bean fixed to it, "Is that a bean? Can it make a portal?"

"Not anymore," Anton shook his head, "It was destroyed like the rest of them. I wear it as a reminder…to trust few," he smiled at Piper, before turning and moving a bolder from the wall just beside them, revealing a tunnel, "Go."

Emma looked at the tunnel a moment before turning to Anton, "Anton…can I ask a favor of you?"

Anton smiled, "You're Piper's family, anything."

~8~

Hook slowly came around from where he'd been knocked out by the falling debris to find himself sitting against the wall, a shackle on his one arm, trapping him there, with Emma and Piper standing before him.

"What are you doing?" he frowned at the shackle and up at them, "What are you doing?!"

"Emma has decided that, even with my having your heart, you still pose a threat to us," Piper remarked.

"Emma?" Hook looked at her.

"Hook," Emma shook her head, "I can't…"

"Emma, look at me. Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hand. Why do this to me now?"

"I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you," Emma told him, "I can't take the chance that you won't steal your heart back and go running to Cora. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You're sorry?! I got you here! I got you the compass!"

"Actually, I got us here," Piper gestured around, "And I got the compass. You were more a load of dead weight with a missing hand."

"Well, you're just going to leave me here to die?" he glared, "I thought your precious Dark One wanted that pleasure. What, will you have that beast to eat me, to crush my bones?"

"He is NOT a beast," Piper nearly spat at him, defending Anton who was sitting behind them.

"And you're not going to die," Emma added, "We just need a head start, that's all," she took a breath and gave Piper a look, "Put his heart back."

"Emma…" Piper shook her head.

"We don't need it," she countered, "If he's not with us, we can't control him. If he goes to Cora, she kills him because he failed. He's on his own now…and…I know what it's like for someone to be without their heart," she thought back to Graham, "Just…give it back and let's go."

Piper sighed, "This is a mistake," she warned Emma.

"Then the consequences are on me," Emma decided.

"I doubt that," Piper muttered, for how much of a realist Emma was about the hardships of the world…she was very much like Snow White was in not considering consequences. But she knelt down and shoved Hook's heart back into his chest. She tilted her head to eye him, "I suppose it would be more interesting to see what other ways Rummy has for ending your life when next he meets you," she mused. Before standing and nodding to Anton, before leading Emma out through the tunnel, Hook shouting after them.

~8~

The two women were climbing down the beanstalk, nearly at the bottom when they heard shouting and could barely make out Mary Margaret tackling Mulan, the two women fighting on the ground as Aurora tried to stop them.

"This was your daughter's wish!" they could hear Mulan shouting.

"What did you tell her?" Piper glanced at Emma.

Emma winced, "To chop the stalk down if we weren't back by now."

"Oh Emma," Piper sighed, "Snow would NEVER allow that, she would sooner kill Mulan than allow it. Come," she quickly hurried down even faster than before.

"I don't care what you say!" Mary Margaret was yelling, "You do not put my daughter and my cousin in danger!"

"Snow!" Piper called as they got closer.

"Stop!" Emma added, jumping down the last few feet with Piper.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret leapt up and ran to her daughter, "You ok?" she hugged her tightly.

Emma gave her a smaller hug and stepped away, "Two earthquakes and a jump from a beanstalk. I think my brain's still rattling around a little."

"Mulan, please do be aware that Emma is NOT the leader while in this world," Piper reminded the woman, hopping down too, accepting a hug from her cousin.

"I did what she ordered, nothing more than that," Mulan defended, "Did you get it?"

"Yep," Emma smiled as Piper held up the compass.

"W-Where's Hook?" Aurora glanced up.

"Detained," Piper said simply, "We must make haste though."

"Get your stuff," Emma agreed, "We got ten hours before he follows us."

"What?" Mary Margaret blinked, "How?"

"An old friend is watching him for us," Piper replied, "It took us 2 hours to climb down…"

Mary Margaret nodded and turned to Emma as Mulan and Aurora grabbed their supplies, "You told her to cut it down?"

"Yes," Emma sighed.

"And you didn't stop her?" she looked at Piper.

"I was unaware till you went after the girl," Piper countered.

"Look, no one but Mulan knew," Emma cut in, "I couldn't risk…"

"We go back together," Mary Margaret stated firmly, promising that, "That is the only way. Do you understand?" she pulled Emma into a tighter hug.

"Yeah," Emma breathed.

"Good," Mary Margaret pulled back, "Now, let's go get that dust from Cora."

"Yeah, and go home," Emma nodded, they knew they wouldn't be able to use the ashes themselves, not without the waters restored to Nostos, but they could at least buy time till they worked out a plan to either manipulate Cora into conjuring the waters and they get home without her, or find another portal.

Piper just glanced up at the beanstalk once more, giving Hook back his heart was going to complicate quite a few things, she knew. Emma sorely underestimated both Hook and Cora.

A/N: My apologies -sigh- My entire fault this was late, I stayed up way too late last night, slept through my alarm and was nearly late for work so I was just scrambling. I just got home about 15 minutes ago and I'm uploading the chapters now, sorry!

As for this chapter...bit more of a hint as to how Piper met James here ;) I loved Anton, he was just adorable :)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say that Piper and Belle will have a small confrontation one day ;) But I won't say when :) I probably won't do an AU with Piper in Storybrooke instead of the EF, only because it's only a few episodes of it :)

The kiss is definitely to do with her accepting him and also her intent to be just kissing him and not to break his curse too :) I do hope Regina gets a happy ending too :) I can say that Gold has found out about who gave her the scars and took care of them, we'll see that in a future chapter ;) As for the beanstalk and candle, Piper went up it, but we'll have to wait and see what Snow does }:)

That's awesome, I bet you're a brilliant Belle ;) And I wish you and your drama group 'break a leg' in your production ;)

I don't think Belle would interfere more so feel she might be saving him from going further into the darkness because Piper doesn't pull him away from it, it wouldn't be a true interference though, she won't be plotting against them, but she may have a small confrontation with Piper at some point ;)


	12. Up the Beanstalk

Up the Beanstalk

Piper bit back a grimace as she followed King George through the halls of his castle. She never ever should have ended up there, it was a mistake to be there. She should have been more careful, but alas, fate was cruel and now she was temporarily 'seeking sanctuary' in the realm of a man who would have seen his son wed to her or her cousin and only one of the other when the first refused. She knew her refusal and the words to the king would come back to bite her one day, but she'd had no other choice when she'd woke to find herself there. She was at the king's mercy and he, unfortunately, was aware of her powers and he had taken precautions against it.

He had her under guard when not with her personally, and the guards had wax in their ears so that they couldn't hear her music. When he was with her he always made it very clear that he could, at any time, hand her over to the Queen or worse yet, tell Snow White she lived as he was very much aware that everyone thought her dead. He was using her cousin against her, the same way she had tried to prevent her own name being used against Snow. It was why she'd kept with her new title, the Pied Piper, instead of using Rose Red. But George knew who she was, and now she was a prisoner in the man's castle.

He was hoping, she assumed, that she could be used for leverage. She knew full well he had every intention of handing her over to the Queen for a ransom. His kingdom was suffering, the coffers were low, and the Queen would pay a healthy sum to get her hands on the last of Snow White's blood family, both to kill her and to lure Snow in. She knew George would do it too, for his wealth. It was just a matter of when. She was a very big bargaining chip and he was trying to bide his time, play his cards right to get the largest sum he could and she was always on edge of when he thought that would be. She knew he was trying a few other methods of regaining his riches before he'd resort to using her against Snow and handing her to the Queen. The longer Snow evaded the Queen the higher the price for HER would be.

George turned a corner to the royal wings, a wing she was not welcome to stay in, no she had her own little meager hole in the ground near the dungeons that George seemed to think suited her. She hated it, she hated him, and she hated his guards and his son and if she had her way she would see his kingdom ruined if it was the last thing she did. Gone was the little girl who had tried to eloquently turn down a marriage proposal backed by her parents, and all that remained was an embittered woman with stone around her heart.

It was the curse of Sirens. Their hearts were naturally closed off, as harsh and unfeeling as the sea they lived in. Only their families and those that they loved existed in their hearts and their love was hard to win. But for each heart there was an added protection. Sirens, being so hard hearted, were immune to having their hearts ripped out by sorcerers. It was as though their hearts were unmovable rocks that others could not touch. And the heart itself only hardened with each loss it experienced. It was hard for a Siren to care, but with each blow to their heart it just got all the more protected. Seeing her father and mother die had only been the tip of it. She'd felt it as she sat outside her kingdom and watched it burn. She'd felt her heart hardening against the world and all her life had been since then, misery after misery, pain after pain, had just made it harder.

She…at times, she feared what Snow would think of her if she could see her now, see how hard her heart had become. Her love for her cousin still burned in her heart, it always would. As a Siren's heart hardened what was in there already was even more protected and even more vehemently guarded. But she knew that it was likely her cousin would barely recognized her now compared to the young girl she had been. She just…couldn't bring herself to care much about others. If she took a life, so be it. If someone crossed her and she took restitution, then that was just and fair. If she had to stand there and watch someone rip out George's heart and crush it she wouldn't even flinch.

She was so different, and she felt it.

She knew she had to get out of there though, George's kingdom had hardened her heart as well and Snow would be the last straw. If anything happened to her cousin, she would be lost, she would be an unfeeling monster and, for Snow's sake, she didn't want to become that. George was doing a good job of trying to keep her beaten down though. She hardly had a decent pair of boots, the ones she wore were the same from her castle and were years old now. Her dress was some sort of hand-me-down gown of sorts that was more like a day-time nightgown than anything. She'd had a cloak but its clasp had been broken shortly after she arrived there and she had to tie it with a rope. She had her bag, a small bag that had what was left of the things she valued. Nothing was from her home though, save her pipe and that always remained in her boot. No, mostly it was food, a small cloth to wash with, some money from her various deals…but the money was drying up as George refused to allow her leave to see to any of her deals.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when George threw the doors open to his son's room and she looked away, feeling disgusted as she saw the prince, James, on bed with a barely dressed woman, the two of them clearly engaging in intimate activities, or about to, "I didn't know you had company, James," George seemed as irritated and disgusted as she was.

"Father," James hurriedly stood, not paying any mind to Piper standing right there, "This is my father, the King," he introduced for the girl, "Father, this is…"

"I don't care. The kingdom is teetering on bankruptcy. The name of your latest dalliance is of little concern to me."

"Pleasure to meet you, too, Your Majesty," the woman gave him a sour look at being ignored, though Piper saw her gaze flicker over to her.

"Good day," George offered testily.

James didn't seem to notice or care as he turned to the side table f his room, "Care for a drink, Father?" he poured himself one.

"There'll be time for that later. Right now, there's trouble afoot. I just received word that there's a giant running amok in the outer village."

"I thought giants were extinct," James frowned.

"I'd love the chance to battle one," the woman smiled.

"No," George shook his head, "No killing. Not yet, anyway. This giant could be of use to us."

Piper's eyes narrowed at that, she was no stranger to being used. She could feel her cold heart give a small stir at that, that someone would use another creature without even knowing about it.

"Just tell me what needs to be done," James rolled his eyes.

"You two are to go with Piper," George nearly sneered her name, "She shall accompany you to the Giant's sighting. Gain its trust, learn its secrets, discover where it keeps its treasure and report back to me so we can dispatch the knights to seize it. And you," he glared at Piper, "Do what ever is necessary to ensure the giant falls for it."

Piper's lips pursed at that, she wanted NO part of this plan…so she would just have to think of a way to see it compromised.

…and perhaps she could see an end to James as well on the way.

~8~

Piper followed behind James and Jack, as she'd learned the woman was called (or Jacqueline as James had attempted to introduce her to his father as before the man stormed out of his son's bedchambers). She was quiet as she went, always quiet, not permitted to speak unless spoken to, a shadow or a ghost in their presence. She hated it. Even more she hated that she couldn't fight back. She had been taught from a young age to handle a blade, her father and Snow's had wanted them prepared incase the guards ever failed them. But she had no blade on her and she was NOT about to use any sort of wile to get close to James and grab his. She wasn't the best at physically defending herself and it was made all the worse by how George tried to keep her weak, feeding her sparingly but feeding her, not allowing her to rest properly.

She knew he was trying to break her. Make her weak and willing to be his little pet and do his dirty deeds for him. She had heard him speaking to an advisor when he hadn't realized she was there, something about Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One, and how he was considering to try and use her to sway the man himself into making a deal that would benefit someone besides the imp for once. She hated that, she didn't want that, and she knew she had to get out of there and soon. She would be no one's pawn, never. She was her own woman and she was going to fight George tooth and nail, no matter what he dished out. No matter if she spoke out and he or a guard struck her, she would speak when she wanted to.

But even she could admit though that while his efforts were wasted on trying to break her, she was not faring well under George's eye. She hardly slept, hardly ate, barely got to play her music. If it hadn't been for the absolute fit she'd pitched when one of the guards tried to take her pipe from her (and the fact she then proved that the pipe wasn't the source of her power) she didn't doubt that he'd have tried to take her music from her. And she could not have that.

Perhaps this would be what she needed to escape. James was so preoccupied with the latest body warming his bed that she might be able to slip away, get to the woods and just…run. Even if she didn't know where she'd go anywhere was better than George. Well, anywhere except where the Queen was or where Snow was.

She let out a soft breath though when she saw James and Jack stop…because there was a rather large man before them, a giant, peering into the window of one of the taverns. He was a plump man by any standards, with brown hair, a beard, in some sort of robe-like garment. He looked over at them a moment later and tried to run.

"Come on!" James ordered and they took off after the giant, "If you want some ale, you should ask!" he shouted up at the giant when he was sure they were close enough for the being to hear them, slowing when the giant stopped and turned to them, "They'll serve anyone who can pay, my friend. I'm James," he gave a small bow, "Prince of this realm. I wanted to make sure you received a warm welcome."

Piper's lips pursed at that blatant lie.

But the giant just smiled, "I'm Anton. I'm a giant."

"Yeah, I can see that," James laughed, "What brings you to our land?"

"I've always been fascinated with your customs. I just…wanted to see it for myself," he shrugged, seeming bashful about that.

Piper's lips quirked down at that, seeing the familiar gesture. She could recognize the signs of teasing. When Snow wasn't with her, when she was a child, the village children sometimes teased her. A handful of times to her face before they began to do it behind her back, but she recognized the effects of it just as well. The bowed head, as though you should be ashamed of something because of others. She had sworn to herself she would never make that look again and she felt her heart zing for the poor giant that had clearly been teased by the other giants.

"Well, we would be more than happy to show you around," James offered, "Of course, there's the matter of your size."

"I'm too small for back home, I'm too big for here," Anton sighed.

"Don't despair, Anton," Jack smiled warmly at her, "I have something that may help you."

"What is it?"

Jack reached into her small satchel and pulled out a bit of what appeared to be mushroom, "Magic," she whispered, as though it were some awe-inspiring food, "A piece of mushroom from a far-off land. I once slayed a Jabberwock that was terrorizing a village, and they…they couldn't pay me in gold, so they paid me with this, instead. If you eat it, it will change your size. Its effects are temporary, but we have more," she held it up to him and dropped it into his hand as he held it out to her, "I'm pretty sure this one makes you smaller."

"Pretty sure?" Anton hesitated.

"Well, I haven't had the occasion to try it, but…the wise woman who gave it to me swore by its power."

"Go on, Anton," James urged him, "Give it a try."

Piper watched him cautiously, at worse, he would at least be bigger than the other giants and could return home proud for a few moments.

Anton took a breath and ate the mushroom, his eyes widening as he looked at his body while it grew smaller and smaller and smaller till he was just about their size, if a few inches taller, "I have no way to repay you for your kindness!" he exclaimed, looking at them with tears in his eyes.

"No need," Jack smiled benevolently, nearly making Piper roll her eyes at that, even if she weren't half-siren she was quite sure that anyone would be able to see how heavily she and James were laying on the hospitality, "If it makes you happy, that's all the payment that we desire."

"Well, then at least tell me your name," Anton smiled shyly at her.

"Jacqueline. But…most people call me Jack."

"Nice to meet you, Jack," Anton beamed, before spotting Piper, "What about you? What's your name?"

"She's not important," James cut in as Piper opened her mouth to speak.

Anton frowned at that, "I think every human is important and fascinating," he blinked, "Don't you?"

Piper could see James's grip on his sword hilt tightening at that, he was as much a fan of her as she was of him so she just had to speak and irritate him more, "Piper," she told the giant, "They call me the Piper."

"Piper…" Anton tested it, smiling again, before a thought seemed to strike him, "Do you play the pipes!? Do you play instruments? I've always wondered what human music sounded like. We have a few instruments back home but they're all too small for me to use," he grew downcast at that.

"Well then, friend," James patted him on the back, "I know the perfect place for you to hear some."

~8~

Anton was led into the tavern he'd been peeking into by James and Jack, Piper behind him though he kept slowing his pace as though he wished to walk beside her for some reason. Which was not what she'd wanted. She knew he was trying to be polite and courteous, but she had been hoping he'd walk before her, his size would block her and give her the chance to escape before James or Jack could realize. But he kept to the side so she was always visible. She didn't blame him, he had no idea she was essentially a prisoner, but she would have wished he hadn't.

James led them over to a table and pulled up a chair for Anton, before pulling one out for Jack and the three sat. Piper would have rolled her eyes at how she was being left to stand had it not been the umpteenth time it had happened. Another tactic of James and George to make her all the more weary.

Anton though, frowned, "Do you not wish to sit?" he asked her politely.

"She prefers standing," James answered for her.

But Anton didn't seem to believe him and turned right her, "Are you sure?"

"I am fine," Piper gave a short reply that made Anton frown.

There was an edge to her voice that spoke of annoyance that seemed to make James grin and Jack laugh, but Anton she could tell…he saw something more in it. Being teased, she could assume that the other giants played a trick or two on him when he sat down at times. He probably thought this was one of those times, where she was being denied a seat because the others were teasing her. She could see the conflict in his face as he struggled with trying to see if he should get her a seat himself and not tease her or if he should keep quiet because James and Jack were his new friends and he didn't want to lose them by not teasing her.

"Truly," she added for his peace of mind.

And besides, standing wasn't bad, it built up her muscles more than sitting. She would need them when the time came to flee.

"Much better to be on the inside, huh?" James smiled at Anton, his words holding more than just the inside of the tavern, he seemed to take Anton's not offering her a seat to be acceptance of how they treated her as well, "Please. You're the guest of honor."

"No fighting for a seat at the table," Anton smiled, though he cast a glance at Piper and she knew her earlier thoughts about him being teased and tricked out of a seat were correct, "If my brothers could see me now…"

"I'm not so sure about this family of yours, Anton," Jack began sympathetically, "It doesn't sound like they appreciate you."

Piper took a deep breath, Anton, she could tell was far too innocent and gullible, he would fall for Jack's words instantly. She always disliked this, seeing people manipulate others so easily, there was never a challenge with the weak willed or simple minded. There was a true joy in convincing someone of stronger convictions to do something. But that wasn't the point of this, the point was Jack and James trying to manipulate a giant into giving up treasure.

And he was falling for it.

"They're not so bad," Anton shrugged, though Jack's words had clearly affected him, he sounded more like he'd said it because he HAD to, because they were family and it was expected of him to defend them, "Except for the…making fun of me. And the pushing me around. And the harsh words. Well, yeah, it's sort of bad."

"Sometimes, you have to leave home to find the people you…truly belong with," he smiled at Jack, before he looked at Anton meaningfully, "Your _real_ family."

"It's like you were always meant to be here, Anton," Jack reached out to touch Anton's hand, making him smile.

Piper would have groaned at the display and how clearly they were manipulating him. They lacked all subtlety.

"Now, make sure our Anton has all that he needs," James winked at Jack before he got up to go to the other side of the pub where the drinks were.

Anton followed his friend with his eyes till he passed a group of people playing music, one with a harp in hand, "I had one of those once," Anton stared at it.

"As did I," Piper spoke, sending a glare right back at Jack as she shot her one for speaking.

Anton smiled and turned to her, eager to speak to someone who had actually played one and owned one, "I never knew it made such beautiful music. And the…pipe," Anton leaned forward, excitedly, "Do you have a pipe?"

"Yes."

"Could you play with them?" his eyes widened with hope.

"No," Jack cut in, a firm note to her voice but a smile for Anton when he turned a confused look to her, "Her playing is…" she struggled to find a word, "Different," she offered instead, knowing that if she said atrocious or terrible Anton might disagree or insist she play so that he could judge himself.

"I am not permitted to play," Piper said flatly.

"Why?" Anton's face scrunched in confusion.

Jack so badly wanted to say things happened when she played, but that would make him curious as to what those things were, "She's just too good," she forced herself to say, sounding like it physically pained her to compliment Piper, "Wouldn't want to make the ones playing now feel bad would you?"

Anton smiled and nodded at that, at her for her consideration, "My brothers are so wrong about humans."

Piper had opened her mouth to warn him not ALL humans were good, when she heard James raising his voice to one of the barkeeps, "It's unacceptable! Go back there and tell him what I said. Promise them anything. I don't care…"

"Is there a problem?" Anton stiffened, looking to Jack.

Jack blinked, "He didn't tell you, did he?" she asked sadly, "The royal coffers are empty. James and his father are deeply in debt to a neighboring kingdom."

"I don't understand," Anton shook his head.

"If James can't pay back what he owes, they'll plunder this realm and burn it to the ground."

Anton let out a breath, "Now I understand."

"It's bad."

"Will the other kingdom only accept gold coins?" Anton asked.

Piper closed her eyes, Anton had fallen right into the trap.

"Well, it depends," Jack shrugged, "A magic bean, for instance, would be worth a thousand coins, but…you don't have any of those back home…do you?"

Anton seemed to struggle for a moment and it was all too clear to both Piper and Jack that yes, yes he did, there WERE magic beans back home, but Anton seemed to determine the best course was to protect that secret by saying, "No. No beans. We do have treasure. Enough to pay off your debts, I bet."

"You would help us?" Jack gasped, sounding so over-the-top shocked and grateful that Piper began to star at the table for the wood grain was more interesting than the acting going on before her.

"Without question," Anton nodded, "If I'm going to stay here for good, might as well make sure it's a nice kingdom and not, you know, burned to the ground."

"You are our hero!" Jack cried, leaning in to hug him, "I must tell James the good news!"

Anton beamed as she got up and rushed over to James, watching them discuss what he'd said and the happy smiles on their faces before he looked to Piper to see her looking at the table with a blank expression, "You are…very quiet."

"I am expected to be quiet," she countered.

"Why?" he frowned.

"My music, my pipe, my playing…can be of a powerful magic. James and his father keep me prisoner to try and use me."

Anton stared at her for that, "You're a prisoner? But…"

Piper glanced at James and Jack as they started to head back with three drinks, "Do not trust them Anton, please."

Anton fell quiet as she did. He looked between her and the two others and couldn't help but think that Piper had to be wrong, she just had to be. Perhaps it was all a misunderstanding. Piper couldn't be a prisoner, James and Jack were so nice.

~8~

Piper pushed herself hard than ever as she climbed the beanstalk, going as fast as she could despite being dead tired and hungry. But she had to, she had to get ahead of James and Jack and she had to do it quickly. She had to warn Anton. Just after the giant had left, he'd led them to the beanstalk, he'd told them he'd return with treasure and gone off. James had hardly waited a moment before he'd run for a horse to get back to the castle, leaving Jack to watch her. He'd returned with an army and ordered he and Jack to head up first, Piper with them. They were going to attack, they were going to seize not just the giants' treasure but their magic beans as well. And she had to try to stop them.

She'd managed to pass them up, it wasn't like they could really stop her. One thing about being fed less than she should have been, she was smaller now, faster. All the standing and walking and not being allowed to sit had made her muscles stronger. Being kept up so late made her less tired now. She was beating them, she was a good distance ahead of them. But she could see a few birds flying about, too close to be anything but sentries and started humming under her breath so they'd stay away from her and watch the others.

She crested the top and scrambled up onto what looked like the courtyard of an enormous castle. She turned and hurried straight ahead, listening, trying to hear Anton's song…and did. She moved to the side and ran through an open door to see him and another older giant arguing with each other, Anton with an armful of treasure at hand.

"…expect these humans to just welcome you with open arms?" the other giant was chastising him, "You could crush them!"

"You should!" she shouted up at them, making them look down.

"Human!" the giant roared.

"No!" Anton dropped the treasure and leapt forward, scooping her up into his hands, "She's my friend Arlo!"

"Anton, you need to stop them!" she turned to him.

"Stop who?" he frowned.

"James and Jack," she replied, "Please, I have come to warn you, they are about to attack with their army! They want the beans!"

"No," Anton shook his head, seeming to struggle with that information, "No, they…they're waiting below for me to bring the treasure."

But just as the words left his mouth birds began to caw in the distance.

"Sentry birds," Arlo breathed, "Someone else has trespassed on our land," he turned and ran for the courtyard, not even needing to ask if Anton had told the human she was coming here or showed them the beanstalk, clearly he had.

Anton ran after him, putting Piper in his pocket so that his hands were free, peeking out slightly to see James and Jack standing at the top of the beanstalk.

"Humans," Arlo glared, "Let's kill them."

"No, no, no!" Anton defended them as well, "It's not like that. Arlo, these are my friends, James and Jack," he smiled down at them, "Guys, you didn't have to come up here. The treasure's ready to go and..."

"Oh, we're not here for the treasure," James shook his head, "We're here for the beans. All of them."

Anton blinked, "But…you're my friends. How…"

Jack just pulled her sword, "No, we're not. If you and your people want to save your lives, take us to the beans."

"No," Arlo shook his head, "We may live in peace, but we will fight to protect what is ours."

"Then a fight is what you shall have," James pulled his sword and charged forward.

"Beware!" Piper cried, struggling to get out of Anton's pockets, "The swords are laced with poison!"

"Piper," James glared up at her, "I should have known you'd run ahead to warn them."

"Anton, get the others!" Arlo ordered, trying to knock Jack aside and avoid the blade as Anton turned and ran.

"Anton put me down first!" Piper shouted, but Anton had taken off already, her still in his pocket as the battle began behind them, "Anton!" she shouted, "Put me down, I can help you!"

"Why should I believe you?" he looked down at her as he ran, tears in his eyes, "You're a human too!"

"I am half-Siren actually," she told him, "Only HALF-human. Please," she looked at him, "I came to warn you about the battle. Why would I do that if I were on THEIR side?"

Anton seemed to consider that a moment before he picked her up and put her down, "You can help?"

"I can try," she nodded, "Go warn your brothers, I shall try to hold the others back."

Anton nodded and took off, leaving Piper there. She turned around, hearing the sound of metal clashing and knew that the army had arrived. She took a deep breath and pulled her pipe out of her book, she didn't know how much use it would be if the soldiers came with wax in their ears as she knew George would order with her there and holding no loyalties to him. But she had to try. So she ran off, back towards the army.

~8~

Piper held the note on her pipe as long as she could, trying to help the giants. She'd discovered some of the men hadn't put wax in their ears sufficiently and some of her music got through. She'd played a paralyzing note, wanting to try and give the giants an advantage but there were too many soldiers that were well prepared and the giants were being overrun. She didn't see James or Jack anywhere though and she made a decision to turn and find them. If the prince fell, the soldiers would too, she just had to hope she could get there before more giants were lost. She could see smoke in the sky, the beans were being burned, and well they should be. If James or his father got their hands on transport to another world she could only imagine what would happen to that world.

She turned and ran back to the treasure room where she heard James's song coming from to see Jack fighting Arlo as James stuffed as much treasure in a sack as he could. She had just lifted her pipe to her lips, knowing James and Jack had no wax in their ears, when Jack stabbed Arlo in the ankle with her sword, making him yell in pain and fall back, the poison already racing through him.

"No!" she ran forward, putting her fingers into her mouth and letting out a shrill whistle that had James and Jack hunching over, hands pressed to their ears.

"Arlo?!" she heard Anton cry as he ran to the fallen man's side, cradling him, "No… No, no, no, no!"

Piper grabbed Jack's hand that was holding the sword and turned it on the woman, running her through as she gasped, the music fading as she stopped whistling to watch the woman fall to the ground, the sword sliding out of her as she lost her grip and Piper held hers. She moved to crouch beside Jack, glaring at her, "It is only fitting you die by the same poison," she spat at the woman, standing and tossing the sword aside.

She turned around, ready to deal with James, only to see he'd rushed out the door of the treasure room while she'd been dealing with Jack, the sack of treasure on his back. The coward had run off and left the woman he'd just been with to die, just to keep his bloody treasure.

She looked over at Anton, seeing him and Arlo quietly speaking, could see Arlo was nearly at his end and turned to go to the treasure room door, wanting to give him peace and privacy with the man in his last moments. She almost wished she hadn't though, because she could see it, the bodies of all the giants scattered on the ground, the army already fleeing down the beanstalk. She moved out of the room and to the stalk, hoping she might be able to do something to stop all the humans escaping but they were already too far down.

And so she stood there, watching them grow smaller and smaller as they disappeared down it, not looking up till she heard a thump of someone sitting beside her, Anton.

"My apologies," she offered, "My most sincere, I know what it is to lose your family."

"Did James kill yours too?" he asked, his voice hollow.

"No, another evil," she murmured, "I AM sorry Anton. So sorry."

"They tricked me," he whispered, tears in his eyes, "And now I am alone."

They were silent for a long while, before Anton spoke again, "Thank you," he breathed, "For coming to help me, for being a true friend. I should have listened to you."

"You wished to see the best in humans," she murmured, "I have been around them long enough to know the worst can exist as well."

"Are you free now?" he asked her, thinking back to how she'd said she was a prisoner, "James seems to have forgotten you here."

"Perhaps," she shrugged, "I know not."

"Well that's one good thing," he tried to smile, tried to find just one thing that had come out of this for the better, NEEDING one thing, just one, "You're free now. You should go, escape, find someone to protect you and help you, someone to keep you safe from James."

"Oh I am quite certain, Anton, that it is James who shall need protecting from me after this," she glanced at him, "But you are right. I…I will need help," she paused thinking on it a moment before she looked at him, "Do you wish me to stay?"

He knew she was asking if he wanted her help, "No," he said quietly, "I…this is something I must do. THIS is the consequences of my actions and it is for me to bear," he turned to her and pointed a finger at her, not accusingly, but as close to handshake as he could get.

She reached up and touched his finger, "You are a good man Anton, and a kind man. Your brothers would be proud of the giant you are. Never forget that."

"I won't," he promised, "And I will never forget the help you gave me."

She nodded, giving him one last look before slowly heading down the stalk. If she was careful enough, slow enough, the army would flee, they'd run and disperse, fearing Anton might come after them. If she was lucky…James would have gone right to his father, with the army and the treasure and forget she was there or think Anton killed her in revenge. Whatever the case, she had to be cautious in going down, because her freedom could be the cost.

If she did make it though, her thoughts wandered as she climbed, what could she do? Where would she go? She could admit Anton was right, she needed protection, not just from George but the Queen. She'd fallen into George's hands and he'd nearly used her to get to Snow White as well…she couldn't let that happen. No…she needed someone that could offer her what she wanted, keep the Queen from her.

But the only person the Queen was less powerful than was…

She started to smirk, that would be quite the just deserts for king George, wouldn't it? To go to the very man he'd been considering using her against? And it was fitting as well, because that was truly the only man that was more powerful than the Queen. And, she did have quite a unique talent that could be beneficial to him, perhaps a deal could be struck. She'd heard he was rather fond of making them.

Rumpelstiltskin it was then.

A/N: Sorry! I had this chapter posted with my DW one this morning, but I think I left the page too soon and it never posted :( Just realized it now after I got a tumblr message about it :)

I can say that there is at least one more chapter to come that will feature James and George and Piper, like a sort of prequel to this one ;) Also, I know that this flashback was originally part of the episode Tiny, but we'll see a different flashback for that one, this just fit better here ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh just wait till Neverland and after, the teamwork will be quite scary :)

Yup, we got a flashback of the slaying of Jack :) Piper is definitely more the sort to just tell someone to listen to her next time and then probably use the first instance against them at a later date when someone tries to argue with her ;) We'll have to wait and see where they come out ;)

We'll have to wait and see if Piper loses her memories ;)


	13. Child of the Moon

Child of the Moon

Mr. Gold sat in a booth at Granny's not entirely sure why he was there as the town seemed to celebrate. The Dwarves were drinking a round that Ruby was serving, while David Nolan and the Blue fairy spoke off to the side with Henry, a few other patrons there and everyone with such wide smiles on their faces. Oh he knew they were celebrating the fact that the Dwarves had apparently finally managed to find the diamonds that used to be used in the Enchanted Forest to be ground into fairy dust. He knew they were celebrating the fact that, by tomorrow they'd have enough to use on the Mad Hatter's hat that David was carefully guarding, to open a portal and get Emma, Mary Margaret and Piper back…but why was HE there? He should be in his shop, looking up ways to create a portal when their attempts failed as they so often did.

Good never really understood magic and even with the fairies helping, HE had spent his life researching portals. Open the hat, fine, but it would only be so useful to get to the Enchanted Forest, they'd have to send someone in with a rope and hope that they were somewhere in the vicinity of the others to get them back. At worst it didn't work. But then there was always the chance of there being a swirling vortex sucking them all back into the Enchanted Forest or that the person sent through would be on the other side of their realm and far away from the others…or they'd get killed before reaching them. They truly had no grasp of the magnitude of portals. Even the Blue Fairy, when she'd given his son Baelfire a bean to take them to a world without magic hadn't thought it through. She didn't know what world or what year or where in this world Bae had landed.

And this? This celebration? All it would do would attract enemies who perhaps wanted Snow White and her family to remain missing. Had it not been for Piper being among them, he might have been one of those men. Celebrating like this and making the whole town aware that they were shortly going to have a way to rescue the others would only stir trouble. Something good never seemed to foresee. He had only really come there for Henry, the boy had asked him to join in the celebrations, to teach him more about portals, but the lad had run off to hug his grandfather the moment David stepped in and hadn't returned.

"To the dwarves!" David cheered as everyone lifted their glasses, Gold rolling his eyes at that. David just walked over to Leroy, the one who had found the diamonds when he'd fallen through a wall he'd been hacking at, and clasped him on the shoulder, "That was quite a spill. Are you ok?"

Clearly good had no idea how sturdy dwarves were either, he mused before he stood, preparing to leave. There was actually one more piece of business that he could see to while he was there but he could take care of that quickly on the way out if he could catch hold of Red Riding Hood, or Ruby, a moment. The girl had come to his shop that morning with an inquiry about the items he had there. She was searching for her red cloak and, while he was certain he didn't have it in the shop, he'd told her that he would check his house, where he kept some other artifacts (and even Regina's vault that held her own magical items) for it as well. He'd searched, and it wasn't there.

He knew why the girl was asking for it, it was the full moon that night and with the curse broken and magic back, she was likely to turn into 'the big bad wolf' of legend, such was the curse of a werewolf. He picked up his cane and turned to go when he saw one of the local mechanics speaking to her, the woman shifting in discomfort and as he neared her to tell her about the cloak, he heard why. The man was apparently trying to ask her on a date and she was refusing do to the night…without seeming to want to say that she was going to turn into a murderous wolf in such words.

"Um, tonight's actually not great," Ruby was hesitating, "Because…"

"I believe she has an appointment to sort through boxes of clothing in my shop tonight," he stepped up in an uncharacteristic show of what some might call chivalry…he was really just settling a debt even if the wolf-girl didn't know it.

Ruby had had a large role in their plans when the curse was in effect, in discovering the buried heart of what was thought to be Kathryn Nolan. Without her help, the whole fiasco wouldn't have happened when it did. And…on a more personal note, Ruby had been one of Mary Margaret's supporters during it, and for her to stay and believe in Piper's cousin…he knew Piper would feel she owed some sort of loyalty in return to Red. She had said once or twice in the past that she did like Red as she was a good friend to Snow White.

And for Piper alone, he could attempt to slightly help the girl. Slightly.

"That's right," Ruby nodded, "I um, volunteered to see if there were any clothes from the Enchanted Forest that belonged to people around town to try and give back to them."

"Ok," Billy smiled sadly, thinking she was blowing him off, "Um…maybe next time?"

Ruby nodded and waited till the boy had left before glancing at Gold, "I guess I owe you a favor now?" she frowned.

He looked at her a moment, "No."

She blinked, surprised at that, "No?"

"You were Snow White's protector," he said simply, "Piper would thank you for that. But as she isn't here…"

Ruby nodded slowly, David had told her that Piper was apparently Mary Margaret's cousin, "Well…thank you."

"I DO have a matter of business to speak with you about dearie," he continued, "I have searched, as promised, but the red cloak is not in my possession of in that of the Queen's."

Ruby paled at that knowledge, "Oh…" she breathed, "Well, thanks again," she nodded, and hurried off to Granny, pulling the woman away to speak to her quietly.

Everyone in the establishment paused though when the bell on the door chimed and Albert Spencer, or as most knew him, King George, 'father' of Princes James and David, entered the room, "Congratulations, Sheriff," he sneered as David stood from the booth he'd been sitting in with Henry, "Quite a celebration."

"What are you doing here?" David strode up to him, the Dwarves standing to defend their prince but he held up a hand to stop them.

"You may have taken care of me in the old world, but, in this one, we get another go at each other."

"Whenever you're ready."

"It's a big moment for you, isn't it?" Spencer smirked, "On your way to getting your family back."

"Ah…yeah, it must be hard for you," David countered, "You know, watching good win."

"Good?" he scoffed, "So sure of yourself. But I know the truth. You're still just a shepherd pretending to be a prince. You weren't fit to run the kingdom, and you sure as hell aren't fit to run this town."

"I think the people of Storybrooke might disagree with you," David stated to the cheers of the patrons.

"Today," Spencer agreed, "But I'm going to see to it that they see things my way. That they see you for who you really are. By the time I'm done with you, you'll wish you'd killed me when you had the chance."

"I believe that shall be YOU wishing that," Gold remarked from the side, his eyes on Spencer, cold and harsh, "I truly do believe, by the end of this, you shall be wishing it was the Shepherd Prince that dealt with you."

"Is that a threat?" Spencer glared at him, "I believe we're on the SAME side."

"You and I will NEVER be," Gold's eyes narrowed as he stepped calmly up to Spencer, "And do you want to know why dearie?"

"Why?" Spencer humored him.

"I know what it was like for Piper when she was your 'guest,'" Gold told him, in a low voice, actually seeing Spencer's face move to shock for a moment before it was glaring again, "She told me everything about her life before she became my partner. Yes, MY partner, in EVERY sense of the world," his voice started to take on such a dangerous tone that David actually stepped back, "She told me of you and your James. She took great delight in being the one to cause his death," he smirked, seeing Spencer's jaw clench at that new information, "And believe me, the ONLY reason she took his life and not yours…is because _I _claimed that one."

"Then why don't you just kill me now and be done with it?" Spencer spat.

"I'd rather Pip be here to see you suffer," he said simply, stepping back with a dark grin on his face, "I shall await her return and then…well," he smirked, "They DO call me the Dark One, don't they? I suppose you'll find out why."

And with that, Gold turned and stalked out of the back of the diner, needing to get away from Spencer before he actually DID murder the man. He was being honest, he really would rather have Piper there to witness it though.

She deserved it after all the misery George and his son had caused her.

~8~

If it hadn't been for the fact that it was Henry in trouble, Gold was quite certain he would have ignored Regina's pleas for help when she contacted him that night. He'd been in the middle of trying to plan out how they might be able to direct the Hatter's hat to target a specific person instead of a specific place given they didn't know where in the Enchanted Forest the others were when Regina had called his shop, frantic, and begged him to come to Mary Margaret's apartment…because Henry needed help. He would be lying if he said he hadn't come to…like the boy slightly, given it had been his desire and help and actions that led to the curse being broken. That and the fact he was Piper's 'nephew' and she would kill him…likely actually kill him…if any harm befell the boy while she wasn't there and HE could have stopped it. Sirens were…quite frightening when their families were the ones in danger.

He would never risk her wrath in such a way.

And so there he was, sitting on the edge of Henry's bed in the apartment, examining the boy's hand where it was burned, as though he'd been in a fire yet had only been asleep when it happened. He knew a fireball could cause something like this but he knew Regina would not dare harm her son.

"Oh, yes," he nodded, feeling the slight magic in the burns as he healed them, "You were quite right to call me."

"So y-you can help?" Henry looked at him with a trust that still shocked him to see…but he supposed fining out one's 'aunt' was the Dark One's true love tempered the boy's fear and distrust in him. After all, the cousin of Snow White couldn't possibly love someone truly evil right? He would have laughed at that if it hadn't been for the knowledge that the story book Henry clung to had rather…watered down versions of some events, "It was just a dream."

"Well, what you're describing's certainly not a dream," he remarked, thinking of the burning room Henry had said he'd been in and unable to wake from, "No, I've heard tell of it before."

"Then, what was it?" Regina demanded, standing to the side with her arms crossed.

"A side effect," he glanced at her, "You know, it's remarkable you'd cast a curse you know so little about."

Regina stiffened at the mention of the sleeping curses, "My victims are not supposed to wake up. That's why I certainly never cared what happened to them after," she glanced at Henry, regret in her eyes, "Until now."

Gold shook his head and turned to a small bag he'd brought with him, pulling out a small kit of potions and stated to mix one up. He pulled a small chain with a pendant attached to the end of it out of the bag and dipped the liquids onto it, "It appears when people fall under a sleeping curse, the soul travels to a Netherworld, where it resides until awoken. Now, this world is between life and death, and it's very real," he warned Henry, "However, even when the curse is broken, sometimes, in sleep, the victims find their way back to that world. Victims like you."

"This other world is tormenting my son every time he sleeps," Regina hissed, "I want you to give him something that will keep him from going there."

"Well, I'm afraid that's not possible."

"And how would you know?" she spat.

"Because I spent many potions and charms and attempts to manage just that and it failed every time," he shot back, sending her a dark look. He took a breath, not wanting to divulge more secrets, "I can, however, provide you with something that will allow him to control his actions whilst in that world. And once one controls something, one no longer need fear it," he turned to Henry and held up the necklace after adding one final drop.

"A necklace?" Henry frowned.

"You wear this while you're sleeping. Once you control the journey, fear will stop. And then, you can come and go as you please," he held out the necklace to him but Regina grabbed it before he could put it around Henry's neck.

"Everything comes at a price with you," she muttered, "What do you want for this?"

"For a house call? You couldn't afford it. But this is for Henry. This is for Pip's family, her blood-family," he added with a sting to Regina, both reminding her Henry wasn't her blood-son and also that he was ONLY helping Henry and not her, "This one's on me."

Henry took the necklace and looked at it a moment, "Piper was right."

"About what?" Gold glanced at him.

Henry gave him a small smile, "She does get really good deals when it comes to prices with you."

"She's earned it," Gold remarked, gesturing to the necklace as Henry slipped it on.

He wouldn't dare say it, but this was more than just letting Henry control the dreams. There was someone in the dreams, he'd said, staring at him through the flames…that pendant would let him communicate with them across worlds. And THAT was just what he needed.

~8~

Gold's hand curled into a fist as he slammed it on the counter of his shop. He was really getting irritated by all these constant interruptions to his research. He knew quite a bit about portals…in the Enchanted Forest, he knew more than anyone else. But in this realm, in a world that had formerly had no magic…he was at a loss and truly scrambling and pulling at straws to work out a way to find one and open one. There were no books written that he hand of a magic portal opening in a world without magic to a magical land without the magical land opening it first or without something from said magical land being the key, like the hat. He was trying to think of other ways to get to the Enchanted Forest without the hat and with it and other options. Always, ALWAYS have other options, and other plans and backups. That was why good always struggled, they never thought of the consequences of one action or another, they never gave pause to the idea that a plan could fail till it had already failed. They had far too much faith in their goodness to think that their attempts wouldn't work.

But this was a new world that cared not for good or evil but just the results.

And right now his results were getting disturbed again by the commotion outside his shop. The wolf girl, Ruby, had changed into a wolf the night before while he'd been tending to Henry. She'd escaped the flimsy cage they'd built for her and now the boy she had been speaking to (one of Cinderella's mice he thought) was dead. Oh it looked like the wolf had gotten her jaws on him in her black out of being a wolf, but he doubted it very much. It was all too perfect, too staged, the body placed too well to be found. He knew the girl had learned to control her phasing, to control the wolf when she was in that form, but it had been 28 years ago that she transformed last…and now the girl was frantic to think that she'd killed the boy.

And that was another thing about good, they went on faith instead of evidence. At times it was good, like when Mary Margaret had been about to go to trial. But right now they failed to think of HIM, asking him to use something to catch her thoughts of the last night, even blacked out the wolf would retain the memory, and use magic to see if she'd done it…alas, they failed to consider that option. Instead they were set to lock the girl up in jail (though they'd since moved her to the library when the grumpy dwarf warned that Spencer was trying to amass a mob against her) to try and make sure they got to the bottom of who had killed the boy as they were all so certain it wasn't the werewolf.

Right now he could hear Spencer leading the mob to the library, having discovered Ruby wasn't in the jail, and sighed. If you wanted something done right (like finally getting peace and quiet) you had to do it yourself. He turned and moved to his back room, going over to an old phonograph and picking the small thing up before he carried it with him outside. There was only one record he owned, just one, a gift he'd managed to slip into the curse. In the Enchanted Forest it hadn't been in this form of a record, but it had taken that shape when they were sent here. He was well aware of what songs were on it and who they were played by and now that there was magic in this realm again, there would be a larger chance one particular song would work to stop the wolf.

He nearly rolled his eyes when he heard the wolf howl from just outside the library, in an alley beside it judging on how the mob led by Spencer had gathered there. The man in question had just pulled his gun, clearly intending to shoot the wolf when a crossbow arrow was released and shot the gun right of out his hand, Granny and David rushing up to the alley as Gold walked up to behind the crowd.

"The next one goes between your eyes!" Granny threatened.

"Ruby!" David shouted, trying to get to the alley, but the mob surged forth, shouting angrily at how he was protecting the beast, "Listen to me! Ruby didn't kill Billy. He did," he pointed at Spencer, "He stole her cloak and killed Billy in cold blood to make it look like a wolf. All to get you to think I wasn't leading this town as I should," the wolf growled and made the mob nearly start for her and David held up his hands, "Hold up! Somebody already died because of what this man did. Let's not spill more blood. She won't hurt anyone. She's just scared."

"Perhaps I can be of service," Gold called, walking through the mob that parted for him, allowing him to David's side.

"How?" David frowned as Gold set down the phonograph.

"Piper left a gift," he remarked, merely winding up the side and setting the needle to play one of the most soothing melodies he had ever heard, a melody he'd listened to often over the last 28 years. This record was a small collection of her favorite tunes and his favorites. He'd enchanted the phonograph's horn in the Enchanted Forest to play whatever it heard her play back, and it morphed into an actual record here. A small comfort to have her music if he didn't have her, "Music soothes the savage beast does it not?"

David looked over to see the wolf's head tilt and slowly walk out, calm, lulled by the tune, before she sat down and looked to him, not scared any longer. He glanced to the side to see a similar affect was drifting over the mob, calming them too and let out a breath of relief.

"Ruby?" David began, stepping to her with her red cloak that he'd found in Spencer's car as he and Granny investigated, "It was Spencer, not you. He's trying to trick you into thinking you're a monster. But I know you. I know the real you, and I know you can control the wolf, you just need help sometimes," and with that, he threw the cloak over her and watched as Ruby sat up, human again.

"You saved me," Ruby breathed.

"No," David smiled, hugging her as she stood, "You saved yourself. I just reminded you of what you already knew."

"Now, if it isn't too much to ask," Gold rolled his eyes, "Can we have quiet now? I have research to do…"

He'd barely gotten the words out when there was a commotion behind them and the trio turned to see Granny was on the ground. David quickly ran over to her, "What happened?" he asked, only to realize someone was conveniently missing, "Where's Spencer?"

"He's gone," Granny panted, wincing from her fall but urging them to go after him, "Go. Go!"

David nodded and got up, running to his car with Ruby. Gold rubbed his face as he watched them go…once more forgetting he could magically teleport himself and others wherever they needed to go. Still, that was one thing that would have to wait, he had something more important to see to right now, gently lifting the phonograph and bringing it back to his shop…and THEN he'd go after the blasted heroes.

~8~

Gold appeared on the beach in a swirl of magic to see Ruby and David were there, him being able to track them by the magic in Ruby's cloak. Spencer was already there, standing next to a fire, just staring at it.

"You killed an innocent man!" David was glaring.

"He was a mouse," Spencer scoffed.

"He was better than you'll ever be," Ruby spat.

"You want to make a deal?" David shook his head, "It's not going to happen."

"Not even with me," Gold spoke, stepping out of the shadows behind Spencer, making the man aware he was surrounded yet he didn't look perturbed by that.

"I'm not interested in making a deal," Spencer smirked, seeming extra pleased really that Gold was there as well, "I just want to see the look on your face when you realize something."

"And what's that?" David asked.

"That you're never going to see your wife, or your daughter," he turned to grin at Gold, "Or your precious Piper, again."

David frowned at that, seeing even Gold was concerned, "What are you talking about?"

"You really should be more cautious with something so valuable," Spencer laughed and, before any of them could blink, he pulled out Jefferson's hat and tossed it in the fire.

"No!" David lunged for it, but it was already burning away, being made of cloth.

Gold closed his eyes for a moment, considering, perhaps, if he should just burn that book he'd been studying since everyone seemed so dead set against him learning more about portals made from clothing. Because here it was, another blight of good, they hardly ever took the proper precautions. Honestly, he was starting to wonder how on earth these people had managed to capture him and keep him prisoner for so long. If he'd been in possession of that hat…it would have been so well protected with magic that Spencer would have burst into flames just reaching out to touch it! And now, to find out the Shepherd Prince had merely had it just locked away somewhere? This was why he wasn't technically 'good,' they were idiots too full of hope and faith and fairy dust to actually manage to accomplish anything.

"It doesn't matter how much fairy dust you gather," Spencer just laughed away, "Or how much you rally the town behind you. Your family's gone."

David punched him in the face, making Gold open his eyes to watch the man fall to the ground as David pulled his gun and aimed it at Spencer.

"David, don't!" Ruby cried.

"I told you," Spencer smirked, "You should've killed me when you had the chance."

"David…" Ruby reached out to touch his arm, "Don't."

"Listen to the wolf-girl," Gold nodded, his hands on his cane, "Leave him to ME."

David looked at Gold as though just realizing the man was there, "Can you do something?" he gestured at the fire, at the burning hat, "Can you save it?"

"No," he shook his head, "But I would not give it much concern."

"What?!" David glared, "That was the only way to get to the Enchanted Forest from here!"

"That very well may be," Gold agreed, "But it is not the only way to get HERE from the Enchanted Forest," he looked at David, "Pip is with them, I taught her well about portals. If we cannot find a way there…she will undoubtedly find a way here."

"See?" Ruby tried to smile at David, "It'll be ok."

"Yes, dearie, it will," Gold nodded and looked back at Spencer, "It most certainly will…if you two would leave us be?"

David shot one more glare at Spencer before he turned and left without a word, shocking Ruby that he was leaving Spencer to Gold's mercy. She glanced at the imp but he merely waved at her with his fingers and she hurried off after David.

"Now then," Gold turned to Spencer, the man trying and failing not to look frightened when the Dark One conjured a ball of fire, "I believe we have some unfinished business."

~8~

In the Enchanted Forest, Mary Margaret sat in the woods, Piper beside her, both women sitting up, awake despite it being dark out. Neither had had much desire to sleep and, when Piper saw her cousin sitting there, lost in thought, she'd sat beside her and smiled slightly when Mary Margaret reached out to take her hand, just…thinking.

"What are you doing?" Emma called, coming upon them, searching for them.

"Uh, just thinking," Mary Margaret smiled.

"Come on," she nodded to the side, "Mulan has some ideas where Cora might be hiding."

The two women stood and moved after Emma to the side, allowing Aurora to get some rest by the fire. They'd only JUST reached Mulan when the princess jerked awake with a gasp.

"Snow!" Aurora screamed, "Snow!"

Mary Margaret was at her side in an instant, quickly soothing her and hugging her, "Hey. I'm here. It's ok, it's ok," she tried to calm her, "It was just another nightmare."

"A nightmare?" Piper stepped up, looking at Aurora, knowing full well she'd been under the sleeping curse when the first curse hit, "Of a burning room?"

Aurora and Mary Margaret looked up at her, startled, "You know about it?" Mary Margaret asked.

"It is a Netherworld of sorts, where the souls go when the curse is placed upon it. Apparently the soul can return when deep in sleep. Rumpelstiltskin explained it to me after you had succumbed to one yourself," she murmured.

Emma, however, frowned at that, it wasn't quite a lie, but there was definitely something more to it, something Piper wasn't saying.

"This time was different though," Aurora shook her head, "There was a little boy. He…he put out the fire. He talked to me."

"A little boy?" Mary Margaret frowned at that.

"What'd he say?" Emma asked.

Aurora took a breath and looked up at them, "He said…he said his name was Henry."

A/N: Poor Ruby :( I always felt so bad for her in this episode, being targeted just for being a wolf. And Spencer! Grrr...wonder what Gold will do to him }:)

Some notes on reviews...

I can say we'll see some Dark Rose very soon ;) But they won't physically be with each other for a few episodes more ;)

Nope, Piper was never raped, but I will say she's had bad experiences with some men and she did come close to being once :(

I don't think Rumple's death would kill her like with her mother so much as make her completely unfeeling, since she's only half-siren, her heart would be completely closed off perhaps even to Snow :( Nope, George wasn't the one who tortured her, she's been quite a few places before ending up with Rumple :( I think, for George and James's birth, he probably didn't announce to the people that his wife couldn't conceive so they just faked a pregnancy till the time came to nab James and hand him over to the king :) That was one thing I disliked too, people offered their children and made deals in exchange for them at times. They should have expected he'd see them through :(


	14. Poisoned Apples

Poisoned Apples

Snow White stood before the Evil Queen on a small field a short distance away from the stables of the Queen's childhood, the very place she had seen her stepmother kissing the stable boy to the pace that the woman had rescued her from her runaway horse. The field was largely unchanged, a wide expanse of green, hills for miles to see, a large tree at the top of the hill she was standing on. The only difference truly was that there was a tombstone there now, no words on it, just a heart etched into it.

"Do you remember when I ran down your runaway horse, Snow?" the Queen began after a long moment of silence, her gaze remaining fixed on the stone instead of the woman beside her, "Do you remember when I saved your life?"

Snow was quiet a moment, she knew this was risky, she knew any wrong word could break the parley that the Queen had brokered with her. She had gotten word that her Charming prince had been captured by his father and bartered off to the Queen for riches for his kingdom. She'd immediately gone with the Dwarves and fairies, Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, to try and free him. She'd gotten all the way to the dungeons only to find that the image she saw of him, the man she spoke to, was only a projection of him in a mirror. He was being held somewhere else by the Queen and she'd been lured into a trap. The Queen had requested parley, a talk to end this once and for all. It had been years now that she'd been hunted and the Queen had hunted her. She wanted it to be over, she was…she was tired of being the scared little girl and it was time to confront the woman.

So there she was, trying to pick her words carefully, but she couldn't quite understand what the Queen wanted her to say, so she settled with the truth, "Of course," she looked around, almost able to see a phantom memory of herself as a girl on her horse racing across the field, a young woman in a blue jacket galloping after her to save her, "It all looks the same."

"Not quite," the Queen shook her head, gesturing at the tombstone, "This is new."

"Is that…" Snow frowned.

"A grave. Daniel's grave."

Snow stared at the woman, not having heard the name of the stable boy that had claimed to love her step mother in ages, "Daniel? I thought…"

"He ran away?" the Queen scoffed, thinking of the tale she'd told the child, how Daniel had fled, how he hadn't loved her. For whatever reason she'd spared Snow's feelings as a girl in telling her, but right now she wanted her to suffer with the knowledge of what her breaking a promise of secrecy had truly done, maybe now, with her own true love at someone's mercy, she'd understand, "I told you that to spare your feelings out of…kindness. But he died because of you."

"I-I'm…I'm sorry," Snow breathed.

"I'm sorry, too. But nothing can change what happened. What you did. You promised to keep my secret. You promised, but you lied."

"I was very young, and your mother…"

"She _ripped his heart_ out because of you," the Queen cut in, glaring at Snow, as though she could downplay what happened to a childish accident, the girl was 13 years old, she was old enough to know what a secret meant and what a promise meant, "Because you couldn't listen to me."

"You took my father. Haven't we both suffered enough?"

"No," the Queen shook her head, not about to bother bringing up that her father had taken from her as well. She had been 18 when she married the king, too young, he'd taken her future from her among other things. She knew it was pointless to argue it with Snow, the girl would adore and defend her father to her last breath, idolizing the hypocritical idiot to her dying days. The girl's cousin was the only one she'd even glimpsed an understanding of what Snow had done wrong in and how the king was not this perfect man Snow made him out to be.

She took a breath to calm herself and pulled a bright red apple from a small satchel she was wearing.

"What is that?" Snow asked, knowing that it couldn't be an ordinary apple.

"It's just a morsel. Did you know that apples stand for health and wisdom?"

"So, why do I get the feeling that one might kill me?"

"It won't _kill_ you," the Queen smirked, "No, what it will do is far worse. Your body will be your tomb, and you'll be in there with nothing but dreams formed of your own regrets."

"And you're going to force me to eat it," Snow realized.

"Of course not. It wouldn't work anyway. The choice is yours. It must be taken willingly."

"And why would I do that?" Snow shook her head, speaking with a slight sarcastic tone to her words.

But the Queen just grinned, "Because, if you refuse the apple, your Prince, your Charming, will be killed."

"No…" Snow gasped.

"As I said, the choice is yours," she held up the apple.

"I take that apple, and he lives?" Snow eyed it, "That's the deal you want to make?"

"With all my heart."

"Then, congratulations," she took the apple from the Queen's hand, "You've won," and took a bite of it, the Queen watching her intently as she did so, not about to miss a single moment.

Within moments Snow reacted to the poison, seeming to be nearly gagging, before she struggled to breathe…and collapsed to the ground…

~8~

"Snow!" a young blonde woman shot up in bed with a gasp, panting, her hand pressing to her racing heart as it twisted in agony inside her. She closed her eyes, trying to still her breathing but it couldn't be done, she was shaking, her head racing, a thin layer of sweat on her brow though she shivered. She hunched over, her heart in torment at the feeling like it had been stabbed through, like a part was being carved out but unable to break away entirely.

"Pip?" Rumpelstiltskin woke beside her the instant she'd moved, jarred away by her cries. He moved beside her, taking her in his arms as she shook terrible, "Piper…what is it dearie?"

She took a trembling breath, "Snow…" she breathed, "The Queen…she has hurt Snow."

Rumpelstiltskin was quiet at that information. He didn't bother to ask her how she knew, Sirens possessed a magic all their own, they were connected to their families through it. It was why they were so protective of them. For a typical, full-blooded Siren, their family was the ONLY thing in their cold hearts and it was rare for any other to find a way into it. He knew Piper, being Rose Red, was only half-Siren, but he knew that her past and the realities of life had hardened her heart just as it would a Siren. That made it even more sensitive to her family, and if she was claiming something happened to her cousin, then something happened to Snow White.

"Please," Piper turned to him, clutching the front of his nightshirt in her hand, looking far paler than he had ever seen her, "Please Rummy, I cannot…" she swallowed hard and he could see tears in her eyes, actual tears, "I cannot lose her. She is all the blood-born family I have left."

He nodded, reaching up to touch her cheek, wiping away a tear as it fell, "I promise Pip, we shall see her saved from whatever the Queen has done to her."

Piper leaned in and he gathered her into his arms. This was…not like her, to beg for anything, this was not like the strong, cold, ruthless Piper he knew. But he understood, the moments after a trauma, such as feeling something like death or extreme pain hit a loved one, you were not yourself. When he'd lost Bae, for a moments after he had been so desperate he'd dug in the dirt with his bare hands, forgetting his magic in his agony and torment, had wept and cried and cast aside his dagger for anyone to grab. Right now Piper was in shock, she was reacting to feeling something happen to her cousin and he would be there for her.

In a way he was honored that he got to see this, that HE got to be the one to see her in such a state, to see her vulnerable, to know she trusted him enough to let him see her at a weak point. But even as he pressed a kiss to her hair he could feel her shaking lessen, and he knew…when she had gathered herself again…

There would be hell to pay for the Queen.

He just hoped he could witness it.

~8~

Prince Charming was wandering a forest, utterly and completely lost, which was a terrible fate as he had to find Snow White. He had been a captive of the Queen, had been used by her to lure Snow to some sort of meeting and then…he'd felt it, the Queen had done something to her. It felt like his heart was stopping, like he couldn't breathe, like a part of it was dying and he knew it was Snow, he knew she was in danger, that the Queen had done something but he didn't know what. He'd been trying to get out of the cell when the guards had pulled him away and taken him to what was meant to be his execution. However the Black Knight that held an arrow at him took out the guards instead, revealing himself to be some huntsman of sorts that had helped Snow White escape the Queen once before. He'd been warned that something terrible was going to happen to Snow, been given his sword back, and run while the Huntsman dealt with the queen.

But the Queen had apparently realized he was escaping and used her magic to transport him there, to the middle of a forest. He didn't even know which forest it was or even where Snow White was and he HAD to find her! And so he ran in some random direction, hoping if he just kept going straight long enough, eventually he'd make his way out or to some village and get his bearings. But he reached a clearing after running as long as he could and realized the forest was far more vast than he thought. He turned and punched a tree, letting out an angry grunt…when he paused, hearing something in the distance.

There was a faint melody of sorts drifting to him on the breeze, seeming to be carried by the very wind that blew through the leaves of the trees. He hardly gave it a moment's thought before he was running towards the sound. Music like that, it was created by an instrument and not the wind and if it was by an instrument, there was a person playing it and perhaps they could help him! He ran faster, feeling his energy return to him as he drew nearer and nearer the song…stopping in a smaller clearing to see someone in a black cloak sitting on a large fallen log, their back to him.

"Hello?" he called and instantly the music stopped.

The figure on the log straightened a moment before they turned, pulling down their cloak's hood and he gaped at the person before him.

"You!" he cried, recognizing the blonde woman as Rumpelstiltskin's caretaker, "What are YOU doing here?" he tensed, his hand moving to his sword, thinking for a moment it might be a trap.

"I think the better question is what are YOU doing here," she countered, "Should you not be off to find and save your beloved Snow White?"

He grit his teeth and pulled out his sword, stalking towards her with it.

"Must we do this again?" she sighed, before putting her fingers to her lips and letting out a shrill whistle that drove him to his knees though he managed to keep a firm grip of his sword.

"How do you know Snow's in danger?" he ground out, panting as the whistle ended, though he kept on his knees, his body tingling in an agonizing way, feeling like lead.

"I shall speak only once you have sworn on Snow's life to put your sword away."

He frowned at that, "And why should I?"

"Because I do not doubt for a moment that if you lift that sword against me again, it will be someone else stopping you next time. And nowhere nearly as gently as I have."

"I can guarantee it won't be gentle at all," came a voice from behind him.

He took a breath and pushed himself to his knees, looking back to see Rumpelstiltskin behind him.

"Lost, are we?" the imp grinned.

"What do you want?" he drove his sword into the ground, using it to push himself to his feet, "What do either of you want."

"The same thing you do," Piper spoke, "To help you save Snow White."

"Well, I have no need for your help," he nearly spat the last word, highly doubting either of them were actually going to truly HELP him, "I'll be fine."

"No, I don't think so," Rumpelstiltskin remarked, moving around him lightly to stand beside Piper, "This is the Infinite Forest. There's no way out. Well, except…my way."

"I want nothing from you," Charming glared.

"Not even this?" Rumpelstiltskin held up a small gold ring with a green gem on it.

Charming recognized it instantly, it was the same ring that Snow White had stolen from him when they first met, the same ring that had made him realize he might be falling in love with her when he saw it on her finger, the same ring his mother had given him with the knowledge that it would help lead him to his true love, "My mother's ring. It was just…" he nearly searched his pockets but instead kept his gaze on the imp, "How did you get it?"

"The same way I get almost everything I want, magic," Rumpelstiltskin smirked.

"Almost everything?" Charming frowned, not able to think of a single thing that the man could want that he couldn't get by magic.

"I do believe he had to use more than just magic for ME," Piper remarked.

"I did indeed Pip," Rumpelstiltskin giggled.

He knew it was dangerous to say things like that around the Charming prince. He knew very well that if they let on too much about how he felt for her or what she was to him that she could become a target, something that the royals might one day try to use against him. He knew they might try to capture her and bait him with her, use her to lure him into a trap. But he doubted that would ever happen. Piper was at his side, at all times, the purple dust he'd given her would allow her to transport to him instantly and the magic tricks he was teaching her would keep her safe. He had no doubts that if anyone dared tried to take her they would find their mission a failure.

And besides…they didn't even know who Piper truly was. Word had spread that the Pied Piper was an accomplice of his, a partner of sorts, but they didn't know who she was beyond that, she was like a phantom, existing but no one knew much about her and those who did…well…he had been sure to silence them.

"However, for this," he turned his attention back to Charming, "I need only the simplest of magic to do this," he flipped the ring in the air and caught it in his hand, holding it up so that Charming could see the green gem glowing, "This ring is now enchanted. The closer you get to Snow White, the brighter it will glow. Interested?"

"Give it to me!" Charming demanded.

"Ah!" Rumpelstiltskin stepped back, "It's not something for nothing, dearie. Time to make a deal."

"No! No more deals!" he tried to lift his sword once more and lunge at the imp, when another piercing note rang out, this one more agonizing than the last.

He could barely make out Piper standing there, a playing pipe to her lips, her eyes narrowed at him before his eyes rolled into his head and he felt his back arch and his body contort in pain, a ringing starting to fill his ears as white spots appeared in his vision…

"That should do Pip."

He wasn't even sure he'd actually heard that said when the note stopped and his body fell back to the dirt, released from the spell the music had had on him, leaving him panting and dazed. A moment later the Piper's face appeared in his vision, leaning over him, her blonde hair in its delicate braid hanging over her shoulder.

"Try that again," she warned, "And I shall not care if you are Snow White's true love. I shall end you."

He swallowed hard and nodded, though…it was odd, he almost felt like the threat was real, she would attack him again if he dared try anything but…he felt like she was NOT going to end him, no matter what he would still live. Though to live in this crippling pain was NOT something he wanted to endure again. He tried to get up again, wincing more this time than ever. He realized quickly that his sword was gone, was now in the hands of Rumpelstiltskin himself as he leaned lazily on it as though it were a cane. He managed to turn himself on his side, to brace himself on his left arm and slowly lean up, when he saw something drip to the ground, something red. He lifted his right hand to his nose and wiped, looking at the streak of blood on it and up at the Piper in a horrified realization that she truly did have the power to harm with music like the legends went.

"So brave," Rumpelstiltskin taunted, smirking as they watched the prince struggle to stand, "So gallant. So _pointless_. Bravery won't get you out this forest, dearie. Magic will. Trust me. This is a deal you want to make, because we both want the same thing."

"What's that?" he panted, making it to his knees.

"Why, you and your true love to be together, of course."

"And why would you want that?" he huffed.

"For one, we are invested in your future," Rumpelstiltskin grinned.

"And for another?"

"That is for us to know and you to find out," he giggled, before holding up a hand and poofing a vial into it, missing the slightly confused look that Piper gave him for this 'another reason' that he wasn't speaking of, "Behold," he held up the vial, one that Piper recognized as the one he'd first put Snow and Charming's hair in to make his true love potion, though when she glanced at it the hairs seemed a bit different but they were hard to see with the bright glow of the love in it, "The most powerful magic of all…true love."

"What do you know of true love?" Charming glared.

"You'd be surprised dearie," he smirked, not giving away that Piper was apparently his true love, he'd…recently made another batch of the first potion he'd broken. He wouldn't say it now but…it was the exact potion he was holding in his hands at that very moment.

"You?" Charming scoffed, pushing himself to stand, his hands braced on his knees, "You loved someone?"

"Careful with your tenses," he tsked, refraining from grinning when Charming's gaze flickered to Piper a moment, "But that isn't the point, the point is this," he held the vial up again, "It's the most powerful magic in the world. The only magic powerful enough to break any curse. It must be protected at all costs."

"I don't understand. What exactly is it you want me to do?"

"If you take it to a place it shall be protected, then we shall help you in return," Piper said simply.

Rumpelstiltskin held up his other hand and created an egg-shaped container, slipping the vial inside it and locking it before holding it up to the Prince.

"And where is that?" Charming asked.

"Inside the belly of a beast, of course," he tossed it to Charming.

"Why hide it?"

"Let's just say, I'm saving it for a rainy day."

"Go to Maleficent's castle," Piper told him, "Hide it in the dragon, and you shall have your ring."

Charming looked between them and nodded, Rumpelstiltskin smirking as he waved his hand, sending Charming away in a swirl of purple smoke, with the one warning, "We'll be watching," before the man disappeared completely.

~8~

Piper and Rumpelstiltskin stood at the shore just outside of Maleficent's castle, watching as Prince Charming swam towards them. They'd been watching through a mirror Rumpelstiltskin had enchanted so they could follow Charming's progress. He'd confronted Maleficent and gotten her to turn into her dragon form. There had been a bit of a fight but eventually he'd managed to climb onto the dragon's back and shove the egg-shaped container into an opening on her neck, before running for the window and jumping to the sea around her castle before she could react.

"Impressive, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin called to him as he conjured a small fire beside them for the soaking prince, "Very impressive, indeed. To me at least. Pip, I'm afraid, wasn't quite so awed."

Piper shrugged as Charming seemed to almost give her a 'are you kidding me? I just fought another DRAGON!' look. But she couldn't help it, after all she'd seen in her life, giants and Sirens and more, all she'd endured, the scars she had, and being constantly with the Dark One…it was quite hard to impress her. Especially when said Dark One was right beside her.

Rumpelstiltskin grinned at that, letting out a small giggle, as though able to tell from her expression exactly WHY she wasn't impressed with some human prince, "Come warm yourself," he gestured at the fire.

"I have done what you've asked," Charming shook his head, "Return my ring to me."

"Of course," Rumpelstiltskin nodded, "You're in a bit of a rush. How rude of us. Pip? If you would?"

Piper nodded and stepped over to Charming, pulling the ring from the pocket of her black cloak and holding it up to him, "You shall be able to find her with this," however, she tugged it back when he went to snatch it from her, "However _I_ have a deal to make with you as well."

Charming's jaw clenched at that, "And what would that be?"

Piper looked at him a long while, as though trying to see something in his eyes, before she nodded, "When you bestow this upon Snow White," she began, nearly shocking him with the knowledge that he did care for Snow White so much, loved her so dearly, that he wished to wed her, "You hold ever true to your promises to her. You protect her. You love her. You have faith in her. You keep her safe from all harms. And you stand by her, no matter what."

Charming frowned at that, he should have asked her why. Why did she care so much that he do that for Snow White? Why was she so interested? Why essentially tell him to just love her? But he couldn't bring himself to ask…because he had wasted enough time and right now she was giving him the easiest deal for the ring, "I swear."

She gave a small smile and held the ring out to him to let him take it.

"Thank you," he breathed when he finally had the ring in his possession.

"Something's missing," Rumpelstiltskin remarked, eyeing him, before waving his hand and transforming the man's wet clothes into those fit for a king, formal attire and a red cloak, even conjuring a horse to the side for the man to ride off with, "Now, you're ready for your big moment."

Charming glanced between them…as though just realizing they were actually giving him a way to save his love, that they appeared to be encouraging and blessing the union, "Why do you want us together? What do you get out of it?"

"I'm a fan of true love, dearie," he shrugged, "And, more importantly, what it creates."

"You should go," Piper spoke when Charming opened his mouth to ask more, "Find your love and save her."

Charming shook his head, reminded of that, and turned to hurry off to the horse and depart.

Piper watched him go a moment, before she glanced at Rumpelstiltskin, "Is what true love creates the 'another reason?'" she asked.

"One of them," he nodded, "There was one more though."

She frowned, "What?"

He just looked at her and took her hand, "It would please you," he said earnestly, lifting it to kiss her knuckles, making her smile at him and he could see it in that smile, in the look in her eyes, no one had cared about what SHE wanted, had done something solely to make HER happy, in far too long a time.

Well, he would have to change that, wouldn't he? She was his true love after all, he would forever endeavor to make her happy, as happy as her mere presence and acceptance made him.

~8~

_Prince Charming galloped through the forest, the ring on his finger, glancing at it from time to time to see how it was glowing, following it to the depths of a forest, until he was able to see seven dwarves standing in the distance, surrounding a glass coffin._

_"You're too late," one of the Dwarves, Doc, he recalled, spoke as he hopped off his horse and rushed over._

_His breath left him as he saw Snow White lying in the coffin, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes closed, dressed in white, "No. No!" he shook his head and turned to Grumpy, the leader of the Dwarf clan, "At least let me say goodbye."_

_Grumpy hesitated before nodding to the others and they pulled the lid off the coffin, allowing him to kneel beside it. Charming looked at the woman lying within and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips…a gush of air wafting out from it as Snow White gasped awake, the curse broken by true love's kiss._

_"You found me," Snow smiled up at him as he helped her sit up._

_"Did you ever doubt I would?" he grinned at her._

_"Honestly?" she laughed, "The glass coffin gave me pause," she leaned in and kissed him again…_

Piper smiled as she stood before the mirror in the Dark Castle watching the scene unfold before her, watching as Snow White was reunited with her love, watching as they strolled along the shore of a nearby lake, Snow wanting out of the coffin. She closed her eyes a moment as she saw Charming get on one knee and propose to her cousin, Snow gladly accepting before she declared that they ought to take back the kingdom.

She opened her eyes, not even jumping when she saw the vague shape of Rumpelstiltskin behind her, "Seen enough?" he inquired as she nodded, waving his arm before him so that the image faded till it was just the two of them in the reflection.

She turned just as he wound his arm around her, her hands resting on his chest, looking into his eyes, "Many thanks Rummy."

"You are very welcome Pip," he grinned at her.

"I suppose I owe you a favor then?" she asked, a light smile on her face.

He had to giggle at that and shake his head in wonder. She was the only person he ever knew who actually SMILED at the thought of owing HIM a favor. Most would be terrified, would be haunted the rest of their days wondering what he'd want to collect from them, would try to find ways to guard against him. And yet she just smiled at him, the trust in her eyes nearly taking his breath away.

"I DO have one thing in mind that I should like from you," he mused.

"And what is that?" she tilted her head.

"Your heart," he murmured.

It truly did surprise him how she didn't flinch, how she didn't even react save to smile wider. It surprised him how well she knew him as to know he wasn't literally asking for her to hand over her heart but that it was metaphorical. He knew, being half-Siren, that her heart was protected from others trying to take it out of her chest. The only one, he was certain, that would be able to remove her heart, would be she herself. But it wasn't a concern because he wasn't asking for her physical heart.

"You already have it," she told him quietly, leaning in so that her lips were just barely brushing against his, "And you always shall."

He let out a breath at that, feeling his own blackened heart thud at that declaration, before he leaned in and kissed her. She would always have his heart too.

A/N: I suppose that if true love can exist between mother and child, between lovers, it could exist between 'siblings'/family as well :) And, given Piper's biology, she would also be more likely to also feel Snow bite the apple in a connected-to-family sense as well :)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh we'll find out what Gold did to Spencer yup ;)

We'll have to wait and see what's become of Spencer, but it will be painful indeed }:) I can't say about the sleeping curse or Rumple's cell though, we'll have to wait and find out ;) There'll definitely be a future flashback chapter of Hamelin, no worries there ;) As for Hook, he probably won't try to cut out Piper's heart, being a pirate, he might have experience with Sirens and know at least that much about it ;) I imagine Rose Red being half-Siren would be quite spread out rumors/knowledge and with Snow calling her Rose, he'll work out that it's Rose Red who is also the Pied Piper :)


	15. Into the Deep

Into the Deep

In the Enchanted Forest, the small group of women were standing in the woods, Emma before Aurora, a picture of Henry held up before her, needing to confirm that the boy Aurora had seen and spoken to in the room of fire was truly her son, "The boy you saw in your dream, is that him?"

"Yes," Aurora nodded, "That's Henry."

"That's impossible," Emma shook her head, "It was a dream. How could you dream of my son?"

"I have no idea."

"Because it is not a dream," Piper reminded them, "That room is where all souls who have fallen under the Sleeping Curse drift back to before their minds build up walls to protect that from happening."

"I've been there," Mary Margaret agreed, her heart sinking to know that it wasn't just a remnant nightmare but an actual place her soul had been pulled to night after night once she'd woken from her own curse.

"When I told you about it, you didn't say anything," Aurora looked at Mary Margaret, hurt.

"You were terrified. I didn't want to make things worse by telling you I thought it might be real."

"It IS real," Piper nodded, "You were there, and Aurora, Henry as well because he ate the apple turnover."

"Because I wouldn't believe him," Emma added quietly under her breath, her guilt growing even more. It was one thing to know her son had been subjected to that room because of her, but now to know there was a worse room waiting that he'd be forced to endure every night till he was able to move past it…because of her…was horrible.

"Emma…" Mary Margaret turned to her, wanting to comfort her daughter.

But Emma just shook her head, "What did he say, Henry? In the…in the dream?"

"He just said his name," Aurora told them, "He…and then, I woke up, and…it was over."

"Emma," Mary Margaret reached out to her daughter, "It's going to be ok."

"We are so far from ok," Emma shook her head.

"No. We have a way home now."

"We have a compass," Emma corrected, "And the wardrobe ashes are still with Cora."

"Any attempt to steal from her would be suicide," Mulan agreed.

"Then we must fight fire with fire," Piper cut in, while she was a realist by nature, she didn't care much for utter despair and senseless loss of hope. She had learned that there was often some sort of unexpected light at the end of a tunnel, but one often didn't see it till they were nearly out of it.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Mulan frowned.

"We ask Rummy," Piper stated, "I know of the portals here. I can guess what her next move might be, but HE would _know_ what she will do. He would know better than all of us what she is capable of and how to stop her. He was the one who taught her magic after all. And if there was one thing I learned from him it is that he never teaches a pupil ALL his tricks. He must always have the upper hand, some way to control them should they try and harm him or turn on him. He will know how to stop her."

"Henry," Emma realized, "We can talk to him. Now we can communicate!"

"Wait, wait," Aurora shook her head, a fear in her eyes of having to go back to that room.

But Emma shook her head, "Oh yeah, Princess. You're going back to sleep."

Piper's lips pursed as she watched Emma turn back to try and make a sort of makeshift bed for Aurora, her eyes falling to the ground moments later.

"Rose?" Mary Margaret stepped over to her, seeing a conflicted expression on her cousin's face, "It'll be alright," she tried to smile, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Aurora can do it."

Piper reached up and placed her hand over Mary Margaret's for a moment, that wasn't what she was conflicted about.

~8~

Mr. Gold was silent as he stood in his shop, watching Regina settle Henry down into his back room with his blanket, preparing for him to meet with the princess Aurora once more in the Netherworld. Regina had come to him only an hour ago to tell him some rather disturbing news about what was happening in the Enchanted Forest. He had been correct in realizing that Henry could go to the Netherworld and communicate with those in the Forest…however he HAD been surprised to find that it was a rather unexpected princess he was speaking to and not the one he thought it would be.

Still, Regina's news had troubled him, more than he was willing to let on around the Queen. Apparently her mother, Cora, was still alive and was trying to get to this world as well. He hadn't been concerned about that particular detail, to his mind, let Cora through, he would deal with her easily. However Regina had pointed out that they both had someone that she could use against them, someone they cared about, someone that was their weakness that Cora would delight in exploiting, Henry for her and Piper for him. THAT had been what had sparked his unease. He had told the Queen that he was not concerned about that, Piper was a strong woman, she could handle herself now and if Cora ever dared harm her…it wouldn't be HIM she would need to fear but the woman herself.

That still hadn't done much to calm his nerves. When Piper was WITH him he was more confident, more at ease, he knew that in a single instant he could be at her side to help her. But she was in the Enchanted Forest. She was trapped there with Cora running around. Worse yet, she was trapped with her cousin and 'niece' and that would only serve to distract her. Piper would never allow harm to come to her family and that would put her in danger if Cora decided to use Mary Margaret and Emma against her. He had been suspicious that it had been Cora in the Enchanted Forest, that SHE had been the cause of some of its inhabitants not coming to Storybrooke, but now that it was confirmed he could admit he was uneasy about this.

But he was trying not to let on, trying to convince himself and others that nothing would happen with Cora, both for his own sanity and for…Henry. It was his family there more so than anyone there, his blood-family and the boy had grown on him. And now there they were, the boy doing all he could to get back to the Netherworld to speak with Aurora about a plan to stop Cora. He knew that, with the barest details, Piper would work out what to do she just needed him to guide her to it. She was clever and she paid attention to him even when he wasn't actively teaching her magic. She might even have ideas of her own but might just need his confirmation that her plan was sound. If she was thinking what HE was thinking could be a potential trap, then he just needed her to know that it was viable.

"So, Cora…" Henry's voice broke out, pulling his attention over, "She's pretty powerful?"

"Yes," he stated honestly, as honest and blunt as Piper was, an honesty Henry seemed to appreciate after all the lies fed to him throughout his life, "But not as powerful as I am."

"Debatable," Regina muttered.

"Actually, no, it's not," his eyes narrowed at the Queen.

"You sure you're ok to do this, kid?" David asked.

"I was born to do this," Henry nodded firmly, "I'm done reading about heroes. I want to _be_ one."

""Well, sometimes being one is knowing when not to run into the fire," David remarked.

"I'll be ok."

"Look," Gold cut in, "Whatever he faces in there, will be far less dangerous than what he'll face if we fail."

"I can do this."

David sighed but nodded, "Get on with it. Fast."

"Alright, Henry," Gold turned to him, "Just relax. And soon, you're going to drift off."

"What do I tell them?" Henry looked at him.

"Just listen to my bedtime story, and all will be clear," Gold move to sit next to Henry's bed on a small stool and reached out to put his hand on Henry's forehead, using his magic to help him fall asleep, "Once upon a time, Snow White and Prince Charming needed to stun a very powerful magician, long enough to lock him up in a dark dungeon…"

"That was you," Henry murmured, "They used Cinderella to trap you with a magic quill."

"Yes, Pip was very angry about that I'm sure," Gold smiled at the mention of her, before he waved his hand over Henry's face, sending him to sleep, allowing his hand to wave slowly over as he wove his information into the sleeping spell, As for the quill. it wasn't the quill itself, but the ink that captured the Dark One, harvested from the rarest species of squid, from the bottom of a bottomless ocean. Impossible to find, unless, you're a mermaid…or me. I happen to have a private supply. In my jail cell…that is where they will find it…"

~8~

Mulan sat, watching Aurora sleep. They'd trekked on a short while after Aurora had managed to contact Henry the first time, and had made camp to allow her peace and rest to contact Henry again for information that only Gold could supply.

"Hey…" Mary Margaret moved over to Emma's side, "It'll be ok. You'll see Henry again. This will work."

"You sure about that?" Emma scoffed, it felt hopeless.

"We must be," Piper agreed.

"You?" Emma gave her an incredulous look, "Since when are you a hope-filled believer?"

"I am far from that," Piper nearly rolled her eyes, "However you are not the only one with a son to get back to."

"A son!?" Mary Margaret gaped at her though Emma fell silent at that, recalling what she'd said of August/Pinocchio, how she'd have adopted her as well if fate had allowed her to be found.

"I adopted Pinocchio," Piper nodded, "And I would rather be there quite soon to check on him. When we last spoke he was turning into wood," she started to shift in place, "The magic returning and the curse breaking should have revived him to his flesh self, but I cannot be sure."

"I'm sure he's fine," Mary Margaret blinked, trying to come to terms with the fact that the man she had thought of as Piper's brother was her son…and wondering how she hadn't realized, when the curse broke, that Piper would not have had a brother regardless and that August had to be someone else. She supposed she'd just had so much going on that she hadn't had time to process that.

Their thoughts were cut off, however, when there was a rustling noise deep in the woods around them.

"What was that?" Emma frowned, only for the rustling to get louder…before men and women, hunched over, with dead eyes, the same bloody wounds on their shirts from the camp, began to stagger in.

"Wake her!" Piper shouted to Mulan who frantically began to wake up Aurora as the three of them hurried to fend the zombies, for clearly that was all they could be, off.

"Emma, watch out!" Mary Margaret cried moments before a zombie tackled Emma, forcing her to lose the compass. She pulled out her bow and arrow and shot the zombie that picked it up, causing him to drop it too.

Piper looked around, seeing they were surrounded

"Any idea how to kill these things?" Emma yelled to them as she grabbed the compass back.

"Yes!" Piper swallowed, "One," she looked at the two of them, noticing that Mulan and Aurora had run off, "Cover your ears!"

"What?!" Emma shook her head but Mary Margaret just pulled her down and they clamped their hands over their ears.

Piper lifted her pipe to her lips and let out a shrill note, managing to make it grow even louder and shriller till even Mary Margaret and Emma could almost feel it reverberating around them, pulsing through the air. They watched through squinted eyes as the zombies tried to clasp their hands to their ears, it seemed their senses were still somewhat affected by the sound…but that wasn't at all what Piper had in mind. She wasn't playing to merely incapacitate them, but end them…

As moments later their heads literally exploded.

Piper took a huge gasp of air when the bodies fell to the ground, "Well that was unexpected," she swallowed, panting, "That did not happen last time."

"Last time?" Emma gaped at her as she and Mary Margaret slowly stood, looking around at the headless lumps around them, "You face zombies often?"

"Made corpses dance once or twice to spook people," Piper nodded absently, as though that were a perfectly normal thing to say though the way the two women were staring at her that was not the case at all, "Rummy warned me of what Regina could do with the hearts she had taken," she murmured, "He did not want me caught unawares or unprepared should she attempt sending zombies after me. Eccentric a course, I know," she nodded, it hadn't ever happened during that time though, "It seems he was right to prepare me…though I had been hoping to merely stun them..."

She really would have to talk to Gold about this increase to her abilities. She knew she had been practicing, trying to strengthen her music and magic while it was weak…she was NOT expecting them it to be quite THIS strong though.

"Where's Mulan and Aurora?" Mary Margaret looked around.

"Great," Emma bit out before turning to hurry off through the woods in search of the two women.

"This way!" Piper turned to the side.

"How do you know?" Emma shook her head, Piper hadn't even looked at the ground or branches to track her.

"I can hear her," was all she said, Mary Margaret rushing after her, seeming to understand what she meant by that. They reached a small slope and saw Mulan at the bottom with two zombies attacking her, seeming to be distracting her, Aurora nowhere in sight.

"Come on!" Emma hurried down the slope, about to try and do something, pull a weapon or whatever to help when…

"Down!" Piper shouted.

Mary Margaret pulled Emma down to the ground just as Mulan fell on her back, shoved there by a zombie. A note rang out, but a deeper one that seemed to lure the zombies' attention to Piper. They glanced over to see a sort of glow appear around her pipe before she flicked it at the two zombies and sent them flying, like a blast of magic had hit them. Piper sagged at that, nearly falling to her knees. It had been…ages since she tried that little trick Rumpelstiltskin had taught her all those years ago.

Mary Margaret ran to her side to check on her as Emma moved to pull Mulan up, "Where's Aurora?" Emma demanded.

Mulan just shook her head, "They took her. Aurora's gone."

~8~

Emma, Mary Margaret, Piper, and Mulan were walking through the forest, trying to track the zombies that had taken Aurora. Emma had inquired why Piper didn't just hear them like she did Mulan but the dead were the end of their lives, the ends of their songs. There was nothing to hear from them. So she had taken to using her pipe to try and find Aurora's song, to track her that way, but wherever she was…something was blocking it with powerful magic, even more powerful than the magic Cora had used to try and hide her own song from her. But, then again, Cora had been using part of her power to look like Lancelot at the time so she wouldn't have been able to fully focus on that aspect like this one.

They stopped suddenly when a crow landed on Mary Margaret's shoulders, "Wait!" she cried as they drew their weapons, but it chirped at her and flew off.

"What the hell was that?" Emma frowned at her.

"Snow has learned to speak to birds," Piper stated, "They are her favored messengers…irritating little rodents with wings," she muttered under her breath, making Mary Margaret crack a small smile, at least that hadn't changed, Piper had always hated the birds she sent to her with missives.

"It was Cora," Mary Margaret told them, "We have until sundown to bring her the compass. If we don't, she'll kill Aurora."

"Give it to me," Mulan immediately turned to Emma.

"Hold on, Mulan," Emma shook her head, "Just give us a minute to consider."

"There's nothing to consider. A compass is not worth Aurora's life."

"We need a plan to get back Aurora and keep the compass," Mary Margaret decided.

But Mulan glared at them, "My vow to Phillip was to protect Aurora. That promise is all that is left of him, so it shall be done," she tried to make a grab for the compass.

"Hey!" Emma jumped back, "Hey! Piper and I climbed a beanstalk for this. You go get your own."

"Give it to me!" Mulan lunged again.

But Piper stepped in her way, "Mulan…I am certain you have heard tell of the Pied Piper yes?" she eyed the woman, "And even if you have not, you have surely seen what I can do. Now…Step. Back," her voice lowered to a threatening note.

"Look, just…give us a few hours, please," Mary Margaret tried to defuse the situation, though she felt a stirring of hope and relief in her to see Piper so defensive and protective of Emma, just like she always imagined her cousin would be if they ever had children, "If we haven't defeated Cora by then, you can have the compass."

"You can't hope to defeat her," Mulan argued, "We no longer have access to the Dark One's assistance."

"Yes, we do," Mary Margaret took a breath.

"How? Aurora's gone."

"Aurora isn't the only one who's been under a sleeping curse. _I_ can go back to that Netherworld."

"Snow…" Piper turned to her, hearing a tremble in her cousin's voice at the thought of enduring the burning room.

"The door to that place is closed," Mulan reminded her, "You said it yourself."

"There may be a way," Mary Margaret tried to argue, "A way for me to go back into a deep slumber. One that can let me access it again."

"Another sleeping curse?" Emma frowned.

"Snow," Piper shook her head.

"No, not another curse," Mary Margaret merely smiled, "I don't need one. I've been under already. I need to go into a sleep where my natural defenses slip away, where my mind stops protecting me."

"How?" Emma asked.

"Snow," Piper sighed.

But Mary Margaret turned to Mulan, "Your sleeping powder…if I inhale it, I will fall into a deep enough sleep that I should be able to do this."

"I used the last of it on the giant," Mulan shook her head.

"Then make some more."

"The poppy plant is extremely rare in this kingdom, but I know of a place that may grow some more. It's a bit of a journey from here."

"We do not have time," Piper finally managed to get a word in.

"Then we MAKE time," Mary Margaret turned to her, "I can go in and…"

"No."

"Rose, this will work."

"I know," Piper sighed, making Mary Margaret frown, "I merely meant…YOU shall not be the one to endure this."

"Rose what are you…" Mary Margaret's frown deepened.

"It appears the habit of falling into the Sleeping Curse runs deep in our family," was all Piper could offer.

"You?" Mary Margaret breathed, staring at her in horror. She knew well the terror of that room and to realize her cousin had endured it as well.

"Wait, YOU were under the sleeping curse too?" Emma frowned.

"I would think that was quite obvious," Piper deadpanned.

"How did you wake up then?"

Piper blinked and looked at her, "You truly cannot fathom that Rummy IS my true love?" she scoffed, "I did not tell Hook that he proved it in potions and true love's kiss merely to unbalance him."

"Rumpelstiltskin kissed you? And broke the curse? With True Love's Kiss? The Dark One?"

Piper gave Emma a long look before turning bodily to speak only to Mary Margaret as Emma seemed to be just asking ridiculous questions that had already been answered now, "_I _will find the room."

"Rose…" Mary Margaret shook her head.

"I will NOT let you endure this Snow," Piper said firmly, "If I have to knock you out to do this, I shall."

"But that doesn't change anything," Mary Margaret tried to argue this time, "We still need the poppies and…"

"Not exactly," Piper spoke, so quietly that Mary Margaret almost missed it.

"What do you mean?"

Piper looked away a moment before taking a breath, "My mind…is different than yours," she reminded her cousin.

The mind magic of Sirens came with many blessings and many curses. When she fell under the Sleeping Curse, her soul was transported to the room, her mind dragged with it, and when she returned to her body, her natural mind magic that should have protected her was unable to. Because there wasn't an outside force to fight, it was merely her own mind returned, and locked within her mind were the remnants of the room. It wasn't some outside force that had tried to affect her mind but an internal one. Instead of fighting it, her mind magic had trapped the room in her mind.

"I go there, Snow," Piper admitted, "Every time I fall asleep."

"What?" Mary Margaret breathed, completely stunned at that revelation.

Piper nodded, "I am quite sure August has nightmares himself about my screams. The only time I fail to be pulled there is when I am with…" she cut off.

"With Rumpelstiltskin," Mary Margaret realized, "Because you feel safe," she wasn't sure if her heart was breaking for her cousin that she suffered that without Gold there, or for herself that her cousin didn't feel safe enough with her own family, or even if she was thankful that Gold cold protect her in her dreams.

"Yes," Piper sighed, "And as he is not here…I should be able to reach the room just fine. I am tired enough from using my magic that I should fall right to sleep."

"If you return to this room, why did you not say so before?" Mulan demanded, though she knew it was likely because none of the three women or herself had slept since they began this quest, "Why allow Aurora to face that? Why offer NOW?"

"Because Aurora is not my concern," Piper stated bluntly, "Snow White IS. SHE is my cousin, and SHE is the one I shall protect to my last breath. Believe me Mulan, if Aurora were here I would not say a word."

"Why?" Emma frowned, "If this room is so terrible, why do this just for Mary Margaret? I mean I get she's your cousin but…"

"Because I am scared," Piper cut in, a hard edge to her voice, "I HATE that room. I am terrified of it. You may not understand much about Sirens, Emma, but we DO have a water based preference and we tend to be naturally afraid of fire as a result."

Mary Margaret was silent, it was true. She knew Piper could handle small camp fires, could handle torches and candles and small things like that…but a room of nothing but flames? That was enough to scare anyone let alone a Siren, even a half-one. It was truly the worst hell her cousin could be forced to endure was that room. And she knew, that might be another reason it had stayed with her so long, it was psychological, it was her worst nightmare and so nightmares she had.

"I am not a perfect person Emma," Piper continued, "I am hardly a hero after the things I have done, and I would gladly allow Aurora to face that bloody room, to come out of it with burns on her arms, if it meant I did not have to. But I will NOT allow Snow to face it."

Mary Margaret swallowed hard at that, and there it was, another thing that showed her her cousin wasn't quite as gone as she thought she was. Sirens were especially protective of their family, Piper would willingly endure any sort of hell to keep HER safe, as she was preparing to do right now. Emma though just looked at Piper with an understanding, as cruel and terrible as it was to admit that she'd rather someone else suffer that room, that she'd let Aurora face it even knowing SHE could enter it too…it was human nature. You didn't want to face what you could avoid, you'd rather someone else suffer than you.

"Now," Piper took a breath, "If you all could be quiet, I should like to rest."

And with that, she turned with a flourish of her shadow cloak and moved over to a small tree that had its roots stuck up from the ground. They watched as she sat down in the crook of it, crossed her arms, pulled the hood over her eyes, and placed her feet up on top of the roots.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" Emma nearly winced at the image, unable to imagine sitting like that was comfortable.

"I've given up asking that," Mary Margaret smiled softly, her cousin had always sat like that, with her feet up on anything for as long as she could remember.

She let out a soft breath and moved over to the tree, sitting on another upturned root and reached out, taking Piper's hand to hold in her own. No matter what hell her cousin was about to face, she wanted to at least try to give her some comfort in the physical world.

Emma frowned, watching the concerned look in Mary Margaret's eye as she stared at her cousin intently, "This Netherworld…how bad is it? What's it like?"

Mary Margaret sighed, "It's like you're, um…lost, drifting in the dark. No one to talk to, nothing to do. Except think of all the people that you love, and how you'll never see them again."

"Henry was lost in that dark too because of me."

"What are you talking about?" she looked up at her daughter.

"He tried so hard to convince me I was the savior."

"Stop it. Nobody would've believed Henry's stories."

"Piper did."

"She remembered Emma, there's a difference between knowledge and belief."

"Then I should have believed him as his mother."

"Ok, you want to play the blame game? If I hadn't told Cora about Regina's true love, Cora never would've killed him. Regina wouldn't want revenge. The curse? Never would have happened. We could spend all day trying to figure out why each of us should feel guilty, but it will not help us get home."

"You really think we're going to make it back?" Emma asked quietly.

"If there's one thing your father's taught me, it's not to give up."

"It's Regina," she said after a moment."

"What?"

"Regina. That's who we should blame."

"As much as I agree with you," Piper's voice cut in and they turned to see her glaring at them, "And as much as I am thrilled you two are bonding and resolving your issues of guilt...I AM trying to fall asleep into a hellish nightmare to talk to my nephew, so if you two could both bottle it for the moment, I would be ever so grateful."

Mary Margaret smiled at that, squeezing Piper's hand, able to tell just from her words that she was truly terrified of this, "Seems like someone's cranky and needs a nap, eh Rosie?"

"Call me that again Frosty," she threatened.

"What?" Mary Margaret laughed, "Cranky or Rosie?"

"Both," Piper sighed, before taking a breath and squeezing Mary Margaret's hand before closing her eyes and trying to drift off once more...

~8~

Gold watched as Regina attempted tending to the burns running along Henry's arms. The boy had woken up abruptly a short while ago, frantic that he'd failed. Aurora had been woken suddenly and not of her own volition it appeared, and the violence of it had caused the flames to rise higher before he could tell them the message about his cell, "Here," he stepped over, "Let me take care of this," he waved his hand over Henry's arms, healing them.

"What caused this?" Regina frowned, the talisman he gave Henry should have protected him from that.

"When you venture deeper into the Netherworld instead of away, there are risks. Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. We're lucky it wasn't worse. He's going to need some time to recover before he can be sent back."

"Out of the question!" Regina glared.

"Not a chance in hell," David actually agreed, "We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again."

"Careful with your tone, Charming," Gold's eyes narrowed at him, "I understand your concern for the boy, but I know Cora. Without our help, Piper, Snow, and Emma will soon be dead. And then…a true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke."

"Aurora is gone," Regina argued, "Why do we need to send Henry back to that fiery inferno with no one there to receive our message?"

"Because someone will be there," David said as Gold opened his mouth.

"Who?" Regina scoffed.

"Snow."

"Well, that's an awfully big assumption."

"No. No, it's not. She was there once before. She can go back. She can find a way."

"I'm afraid you're mistaken dearie," Gold remarked.

"No, I'm not," he shook his head, "Snow WILL find a way, I know it. And I'll be waiting."

"That isn't what I meant," Gold nearly rolled his eyes, "Your dear Snow won't be the one waiting there."

"She will be," David tried to argue, "She…"

"Is there, in the Enchanted Forest, with her cousin," Gold cut in, "Who, I should remind you, is half-Siren. They are incredibly protective of their families. Pip will refuse to allow Snow White to enter that world. She'd sooner offer herself than allow her cousin to brave that."

"But she won't be able to get there," David countered, "She wasn't under a sleeping curse."

"Wasn't she?" Gold gave him a hard look.

David frowned, staring at him a long while as understanding passed between them, a realization that both their loves had endured the same fate, "And you…"

"Yes," Gold's eyes narrowed even more, knowing he was asking if HE had broken the curse on Piper, "So you see…it'll be Pip there, not Snow."

"That doesn't change anything," Regina huffed, "We can't risk Henry going in there again."

"The boy will be perfectly safe," this time Gold really did roll his eyes.

"Yes, because he was so safe last time!"

"Piper is not Aurora," Gold reminded them, "She has been in that room every time she has fallen asleep since the curse broke on her. Every time she was not with me when it happened. She may be able to control that world a little more now that magic is returned. And, once again, she is half-Siren, Henry is her family, she will not let ANY harm come to the boy while he's there."

"I want to do it," Henry's voice spoke from behind them, "I CAN do it," he looked at all of them, "It's my decision, it's my life," he clutched the talisman around his neck, "Please…just…just give me one more chance."

Gold looked at the two others, "Piper would die before allowing a single burn to mar the skin of her blood-family," he told them grimly but honestly, "The boy WILL be safe."

"Please," Henry pleaded, Regina and David looking at each other solemnly before giving him a nod.

~8~

Henry gasped as he opened his eyes to see himself in the room of fire…but there was something else, there was a music there, a faint humming rising above the roaring of the flames. He would have said that it was making the flames dance had it not been for the fact he knew it was probably impossible. But he knew what it was though, it was just like Gold had said, it was Piper waiting for him. He closed his eyes and squeezed the talisman, concentrating hard on making the flames die down.

"Henry," Piper's voice spoke, the humming stopping.

He looked up again and saw her before him, tense and seemingly almost as frightened as he had been to be in that room the first time, but that couldn't be. Piper was one of the strongest and bravest people he knew. He had little time to think on that though as Piper made her way over to him.

"Piper," he smiled, "Gold said it would be you."

"Rummy does know me very well," Piper smiled with a strain, "Has he a way to stop Cora?"

Henry nodded, "He says you have to stun her like they stunned him with Cinderella."

"The ink on the quill?" she guessed, Gold had told her about that little trick of her cousin's.

"Yea."

"But it is hard to come by," Piper frowned, "I may be part Siren but not even I can dive that deep or find a squid like that…" she could hold her breath longer than most but she was nowhere near what a true Siren, or even a Mermaid, were.

"You don't have to," Henry smiled, "There's a jar of it in his cell where gramps and grandma kept him."

Piper started to nod to that, not really surprised that she hadn't known that. It wasn't like she and Gold figured they'd be in this situation, it wasn't like he knew she'd end up trying to trap Cora with the ink. If there was ink, it was a left over precaution of his, something to save for a rainy day, to be hidden and forgotten about till it was needed.

"You must wake up now Henry," Piper told him, but he started to shift in unease, "You have experienced the burns," she realized.

"Yeah," he looked at his arms a moment, there were no burns now, no flames, but it always seemed to happen when he woke up.

Piper stepped closer and leaned down, bracing her hands on her knees to look him in the eye, "Do you want to know the trick to wake unharmed?" she asked and he nodded, "Wake slowly," she told him, "It took me…ages to work that out, but…wake slowly, allow yourself to drift back to your body. It is only when you are violently woken that it affects you violently."

"Ok," Henry nodded, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, trying to relax.

Piper looked around, seeing the heat of the room starting to return as Henry focused more on getting back than controlling the flames. She crouched down and started to hum, trying to reassure him even as the flames grew higher around her. She watched with a small smile as he slowly faded from her view, leaving her engulfed in the flames before she closed her eyes and tried to do the same.

~8~

Henry slowly woke, blinking blearily as he looked over to see David, Regina, and Gold there, all he had to do was smile to let them know it had worked.

~8~

Piper woke less calmly, with a gasp, her eyes shooting open, nearly starting Emma and Mary Margaret as they stared at her, Mulan pacing behind them.

"Did you get the information?" Emma asked instantly at the same time that Mary Margaret questioned if she was ok.

"Yes," Piper stated, "To both," she glanced between them, "Rummy said there is some of the squid ink in the cell where you held him," Piper glanced at Mary Margaret, "It will be enough to subdue Cora."

Mary Margaret winced at that, "Sorry…about holding your um, true love hostage," she offered her cousin an apologetic smile.

"Sorry I let you think me dead," Piper countered, "You do understand that was what I was trying to avoid in the end, you being harmed or you using me to harm Rummy."

"Yeah," Mary Margaret nodded, "I do," if it had come down to it, if Piper's safety and life had depended on her thinking SHE was dead…she'd have let the lie continue too.

"Ok," Emma cut in, "We need to go to the cell then. Come on, get your stuff. Come on."

"We cannot," Mulan stepped over, "We must go rescue Aurora!"

"We know how to overpower Cora now," Mary Margaret shook her head, "Once we get what we need, we will defeat her, and Aurora will be free."

"Another journey," Mulan nearly spat, "Our best chance to save Aurora, is to make that trade now."

"Not going to happen. Without that compass, we can't get home."

"Then you will have to kill me to stop me," Mulan glared.

"Fine by me," Piper winced as she stood, brushing off her clothing.

"Rose," Mary Margaret frowned at her.

"No, Snow," Piper gave her a look, before turning to Mulan, "She has a death wish? Let her fulfill it then," she stepped right up to Mulan, "I have no qualms with ending your life, here and now," she warned the woman quietly, "My heart is nowhere near as pure as my cousins and I WILL end you if you threaten our chances of returning home."

Mulan swallowed hard and pulled her sword, "So be it…"

"Stop!" a voice called before anything could truly happen and they looked to the side to see Aurora hurrying towards them over a small hill.

"Ok," Emma frowned at Aurora, "Don't take this the wrong way, but how the hell did you get here?"

"Were you followed?" Mulan asked.

"I… I don't think so," Aurora panted as she reached them, "Cora may know I'm gone, but she didn't see me escape."

Piper's jaw clenched as her eyes narrowed at the girl, something Mary Margaret noticed as she glanced at her cousin, though Emma and Mulan were more focused on Aurora.

"How did you escape?" Emma repeated.

"It was Hook," she told them, "He let me go."

"Why?"

"Because of you," Aurora turned to Emma, "He said he wanted to prove to you, that you should've trusted him," her gaze flickered to Piper a moment before returning to Emma, "That if you had trusted him you could've defeated Cora together. That we could've gotten the remains of the wardrobe. Without him, you'll have to go up against her all by yourself. He only wants to help. I… I think he may care for you," she looked between them all, "You don't seem worried," she mused, "Did you find a way to stop Cora?"

"Yes."

"Where are we going?"

"Emma," Piper cut in.

But it was too late, she'd already said, "Rumpelstiltskin's cell."

"Great," Aurora smiled, "Then lead the way," she turned and started to walk off with Mulan, Emma going with them but Mary Margaret hung back.

"Rose?" she murmured to her cousin.

"Do not trust her Snow," Piper warned, glancing at her, "Keep your eyes on her and do not trust Aurora."

"Why not?" Mary Margaret frowned.

"There is a note missing from her song," she told her quietly, "Her heart has been removed."

Mary Margaret's eyes widened at that, looking at Aurora with a mix of horror and sorrow, before she steeled herself and nodded, turning to head off after the group.

Piper took a moment longer, taking a breath as she looked at her arm, pulling up the sleeve to look at the burn on her arm. She let out a breath at that and shook her head, moving after the group as well, pulling her sleeve down to cover her wound.

Better her than Henry.

A/N: I apologize for this being late, I'm not sure how many visit my tumblr, but the last few days I've been dealing with unresolved issues involving the last plagiarism I experienced. It was all very taxing and time consuming and made it hard to bring myself to go on tumblr or even FF after trying to deal with it all. It took me to this morning to be able to go back on my FF account and edit this chapter :(

On a lighter note...for anyone who's interested, in about 2-3 hours I'll be posting a Thor/OC story :)

Some notes on reviews...

I think David's just so set on Piper just being a partner/caretaker that he's sort of written her off, I bet he's regretting it now }:) Yup, the other 'piper' was Peter Pan, but it was more a name that one town gave him that he didn't even really realize he was called or used himself, but we'll see Piper's reaction to that when we get to Peter ;) Her songs do have an affect on the undead yup :) Anything with ears is affected by her music :)


	16. The Sleeping Curse

The Sleeping Curse

Everyone knew Rumpelstiltskin was a dangerous man to trifle with. No one in their right mind would have ever dared to try and even cross paths with him if it could be avoided. The man was ruthless, cruel, vengeful, and his deals were so ironclad that only he seemed to notice the loopholes in them, loopholes in phrasing that would end up with him gaining the upperhand. His magic as well made him a devil of a man, the Dark One he was called, given ultimate powers when he had slain the previous Dark One. He had unimaginable power in him, and the glee he sometimes took in the things he did could make even the strongest of men squeamish. To so many it seemed as though there was little that the Dark One could not face down, that there was nothing that could be used as a weakness against him.

But a little known fact to most was that, while many had heard of the mysterious woman in black who travelled with Rumpelstiltskin, helping him in his dealings, she was something much more than just a business partner. Some had heard talk, those who ventured to the Dark Castle, that this woman was merely his caretaker, a servant who was to help him in his dark ways. Others would claim she was just a shadow, some sort of pet that the Dark One took with him on his endeavors, some felt it was to show her his power so that she wouldn't betray him, so that she would fear him.

However one woman knew the truth, that this woman in black was far more than she seemed. One woman had spent valuable time tracking down the wench who had caused her such misery in the past. And in so doing, she had found her in the hands of the Dark One, she had watched, she had waited and she knew, it was all too obvious. It had been a rumor, at first, that the woman in black was the Pied Piper, but she had seen them, she had watched and now she knew the truth. It WAS the Pied Piper and that was just the woman she had needed to see.

And in seeing her, she had made a startling discover. The rumors were true, the Pied Piper was the Dark One's caretaker, she was his partner, but it was so much more than that, the Pied Piper was Rumpelstiltskin's beloved. She was the woman who so clearly held the man's heart and that was all she had needed to see. To see that woman smiling at the man, to see him taking extra care with the Piper…it infuriated her. She knew the Piper, her brother had had dealings with the bloody evil woman. And now her brother was dead because of the witch.

And so she had gone to one of the most dangerous women in the realm, not the Queen, not the Evil Queen, but another sorceress of great power, and made a deal of her own…for a spell so dark it would crush the Dark One's heart as well he deserved.

She would be hailed as a hero, she was sure, she had to be. Not only would she be the end of the Piper, but she would be the one to bring the Dark One to his knees, to make him vulnerable to others. He would be so broken by what had been done that he wouldn't even be able to function. He would be even more shattered when he realized that he wouldn't be able to save his precious love. He would be left so hollow and broken that not even vengeance would be able to spur him into action. She was sure of this.

This curse…it had taken her so much to get. She'd gone mad with grief upon the death of her brother, the gruesome manner in which he'd been killed all due to the Piper and her conquest in Hamelin. She'd gone to Maleficent, the resident evil of her land, for a curse to put upon the girl. Her brother was _dead_, the man who had practically raised her when their parents had died despite being younger than her. She didn't care the cost, she needed revenge and luckily Maleficent had given her the curse she desired.

And she would succeed if it was the last thing she did. She'd gotten her hands on a curse…a small needle set about with the curse, all she had to do was nick the Piper with it…and the Sleeping Curse would take effect. The Piper would be no more, she would no longer be there to torment villages around the realm, nor would the Dark One be a threat either, because the Curse…it required True Love's Kiss to break.

And the Dark One couldn't love, not like that, not that deeply or truly, his heart was too blackened to muster light magic such as that.

Of that she was certain. That damned girl might have a soft spot in his sick and twisted and shriveled heart, but he could NOT truly love her. And she would be left in an endless sleep, for no one loved the Piper either. She would kill two birds with one stone if she succeeded. She would damn the Piper and crush Rumpelstiltskin's spirit with the girl's 'death.'

She waited ages for the right moment to strike. The girl was the caretaker of Rumpelstiltskin's estate, that much was also true. She would fetch him straw when he ran out. She just had to wait till the girl was alone, till she was vulnerable…and then strike…

And strike she would.

~8~

Piper was lying on her side in bed, a soft smile on her face as she slept, Rumpelstiltskin beside her, just watching over her. He would never tell her but he would wake often in the middle of the night, nightmares playing over and over of when she had been stabbed what felt like ages ago but he knew wasn't all that long ago. He'd see it different ways, see the consequences happening differently. Sometimes he'd try to heal her and end up killing her, his magic too dark to be able to do that though his rational mind told him that he had healed things in the past and it was just a dream. He'd see Doc there, trying to help her but failing, Piper bleeding out, her skin growing paler and paler till she just stopped living. He'd sometimes, in the most horrible dreams, see himself before her, see HIM being the one to stab her through with his dagger.

That last one always shad him waking with a start, though not jolting enough to wake Piper as well, and looking at his hands as though he could still see her blood on them. He hated those dreams because not only were they horrific to think that he would ever harm her that way, that he'd ever turn on her but he could never be sure what they meant. Was it meant to be his guilt eating at him? All the horrible things he'd done come back to him? Was it his mind trying to tell him that he should push her away (though he felt his very soul revolt at the thought of that) to try and protect her? Could it be his conscious and his fears trying to say that one day she might get hurt and it really would be his fault? That it would be because of him? He knew he had enemies, he knew they'd try to use Piper against him, that they'd hurt her to get to him. It could be his dreams warning him that she'd get hurt because of him one day.

He was loathe to think it could be his foresight, that it was a dream of the future and that he might one day actually stab her. He refused to believe that, refused it with everything that was in him. He would never do something to harm her.

And that was just it, his conscious coming back to him. Because, in reality, he WAS doing something that would hurt her, wasn't he? He was planning and shaping a curse to be cast, a curse that would end the happy endings for everyone, including, possibly, Piper as well. He was shaping the fate and destiny of the people she cared about, he was manipulating the events around her cousin's life, a cousin she loved as dear as a sister. He had planned a failsafe in the curse he'd crafted, that the child of true love would save them all, that Snow White and her Charming prince's child, the one he foresaw them having, would be the savior. He would be harming Piper's family to go through with his plans. He would be harming Piper in doing all this.

He hadn't quite told her, about the curse, about everything that it involved, about everything he'd done to try and shape Regina into the Evil Queen and make it so she'd be more than willing to cast the curse. He should, he should tell her, and he would, one day. But right now he just…was being selfish. Right now he just wanted a moment with the woman he realized he truly loved. Just a moment of peace.

He felt a smile come to his face as she shifted in her sleep, turned more towards him, inhaled deeply before she drifted off more. He would have laughed at the state of her though. He had refused quite profusely to allow her back to her room after they had both revealed their feelings towards one another. She had been staying in his room (though he supposed it was their room now) since that night. It wasn't much of a difference, there wasn't much of her own belongings around to make the space feel less his, but just enough here or there where it felt like theirs instead. One thing that had changed though was that she seemed to take to sleeping in his tunics. It had happened just after they'd come to that arrangement, she'd wanted to go to her rooms to get clothing that first night. But he'd refused to let her get up, had said something about poofing her clothing there with magic, whatever clothes she wanted to wear to bed.

He should have known when she'd smirked and said 'whatever clothing?' that she had something sneaky planned. But he'd just been relieved she was agreeing and had nodded affirmative. And then she'd held out her hand to him and said 'your shirt.' He was quite sure that, for a few moments after, as he stared at her gaping, that he had done a rather magnificent impersonation of a fish. But she'd just reminded him that he had promised WHATEVER clothing she wanted and that was what she wanted. He wasn't sure if it was her trying something, maybe to see how far he'd go in his proclamation, or perhaps she had wanted to tease him and push his limits in having him undress before her, or perhaps she had just wanted the comfort of something that smelled like him. But for whatever reason, he'd found himself giving her one of his shirts for the night and it had been like that ever since.

He wouldn't say it out loud, but he loved seeing her in his shirts, they were long and covered what needed to be covered, but knowing they were his and that she liked them so much, and yes he HAD seen her sniff them sometimes, made his heart thump in his chest. Even now she had curled her right arm half under the pillow and rested her face on her elbow, turning her face into the crook of it and sleeping soundly. Her hair was a yellow mess though, he didn't understand how THAT happened. She wasn't much of a mover from what he'd seen. She only really moved around when HE moved, which he found interesting. Yet, somehow, every morning her hair was a laughable mess till she managed to comb it and style it into place. He could see the beginnings of it now.

Oddly enough, even THAT he found endearing, that she allowed him to see that part of her, that part right in the morning that was half asleep and unprepared for the world, the part of her that wasn't the role she played around others but just her. Seeing her like that made him feel like she truly wouldn't hide any part of herself from him…though there was still the matter of her scars. He knew there was still one sort of scar she'd mentioned having that he hadn't seen yet. But still, some parts of a person took time to reveal. It just made him feel almost…touched…that she would eventually show those parts to him too. He could admit there were things about himself he hadn't said and he was looking forward to the day where there were no secrets between them.

So with that thought in mind, he laid down again, his arm winding around her as he let himself drift back to sleep, their foreheads resting together as slumber settled upon him.

~8~

"Rummy I shall be fine," Piper spoke as she stood before him as he sat at his wheel, his spinning wheel going round and round…but with no straw there at all.

He had run out while she had been recovering and now that she was finally up and about and able to walk through the castle, she had finally been able to see that. He could easily magic the straw there, but there was something about the straw being moved by magic coming out a different shade of gold than if it was carried there and used without magic. Something about it looking just slightly less shiny and like true gold. It was why she'd always had to go fetch the gold in the past and bring it to the castle. Of course, the great Rumpelstiltskin couldn't be seen carrying his own gold so it was always left to the caretaker to collect.

"I am in no need of straw at the moment Pip," he shook his head.

She lifted a delicate eyebrow at that before pointedly looking at this spinning wheel, "You are using the wheel as though there were straw to spin and there is none."

"Doesn't mean I need straw dearie," he smiled, "I can spin gold from anything."

"Oh can you?" she started to smile a bit, crossing her arms as she watched him, "And how many items have you attempted while I was laid up and managed to succeed in actually turning into gold?"

His silence was all that she needed to hear.

She reached out and gently stopped the wheel, "Rummy," she looked at him, "Please."

He looked up at her, a soft smile coming to his face as he observed her, "In all my years, I've never seen someone so eager to do their duties," he joked.

She let out a small laugh, "Yes, lugging piles of straw down the road is a task I endeavor to see done eagerly."

His smile started to fall, "It does get quite heavy doesn't it?"

She blinked and in a moment he was up on his feet and took the basket that she usually took to collect the straw and had placed on the table to speak to him. He eyed it for a moment before spinning it over in his hands, a soft purple glow coming to it before he turned and held it out to her with a small bow.

"What did to you do to it?" she asked even as she took it from him instantly, that small action revealing the trust she had in him.

Most men and women whenever he enchanted something like that would pull back, would look at him with suspicion, would hesitate to so much as touch the object till they'd asked what she had first…with more of an accusing note to their voices though. Piper just reached out and took it, not even hesitating, not even worried that he might have cursed it or something like that. And her question, it was more curious than accusing or suspicious.

He smiled at that, "I placed a lightening charm on it. From now on, no matter how much straw, or really anything, is placed on that basket," he grinned, "It shall feel as though there's nothing in it."

"Useful," she nodded, slipping it over her arm, "Many thanks," she added before turning to go, but the doors closed before her.

"That doesn't mean I agree that I need straw dearie," he told her, walking along the length of the table to come to the end of it as she turned to him, already in her shadow cloak, its hood up.

Piper just eyed him a moment before walking up to him, "Why are you so against my going to town for straw?" she asked, "After all this time, it cannot be that you think I shall flee from you."

"No," he shook his head, "Not at all Pip," he took a breath, gently taking her hand, "You were just stabbed…"

"Ages ago," she lifted her other hand to touch his face, "I cannot get stronger if I am doing nothing," she reminded him, "Please, allow me to do this task. The air shall be good for me, the sounds of nature, a brisk walk. And," she stepped closer, "The knowledge that my actions will provide you something as well with your straw."

He tilted his head at that, "You…you truly DO wish to go collect straw?"

She let out a little laugh, she knew she should have expected that he would think she'd wanted to get out of the castle, having been cooped up there for SO long while he fretted about her (that thought made her laugh a little more in her mind, the thought of the Dark One fretting over anyone). She knew he'd think she'd just wanted to escape for a moment, get outside the castle. But she also could see a tiny hint of fear, that she'd consider their deal broken as he hadn't protected her and would flee. But she had already reassured him that she didn't consider the deal broken, she had been harmed in one of her own deals, not his.

Even more, she could see he was genuinely shocked that she WANTED to see her duties done, that she was doing it because she knew HE was in need of the straw and not because she felt obligated to get it. She could see him struggling to keep focused and she wanted to help and that was probably something he wasn't used to. To be honest, she wasn't used to others caring for her either. Snow had, she was her cousin, her family had, but they were all taken from her, she was away from Snow and likely wouldn't ever be able to see her again till everything was safe from the Queen and so on. She could tell HE had gone far longer without people wanting to do something to help him, to do something solely for the sake of it being something to help him. He wasn't used to someone caring about him and what he wanted.

"It will make you smile to spin," she reminded him, "And it will help you focus as always. Why would I wish you to suffer without your straw?"

"It is not suffering if my focus is on you," he murmured.

She smiled at that, "To answer your question, yes, I do want to get straw, for you. So please Rummy, allow me to go. You and I both know I shall never be a princess to be kept in a tower."

He chuckled at that but nodded, "Be careful Pip, please."

She nodded, hearing the last word spoken so softly that she had to comply, "I shall be back before you know it."

"I shall know it the moment you are out of my sight," he remarked, but he let her go.

She gave him one more smile before she turned and headed out the doors.

~8~

Piper took a moment as she stepped out of the gates around the Dark Castle, just taking a deep breath and smiling as she felt the breeze around her. She loved being in the Dark Castle, she loved spending time with Rumpelstiltskin, but there was only so much time someone could spend inside a building without needing fresh air and sunlight of some kind. Even Rumpelstiltskin got out every so often for his deals. And, she could admit, being inside a castle for too long reminded her, at times, of the time she spent with King George and his son, they hardly let her out unless it was under guard or James's supervision. They treated her like some sort of object to be kept within the confines of a vault and that was what their castle had become, a prison for her. Even Rumpelstiltskin's dungeon, the room she'd spent her time in was less like a prison than that other castle. Being left inside for so long, she just wanted a moment outdoors, that was all.

And to gather straw was a double treat, she got out and Rumpelstiltskin got something in return.

She pushed off the gates and started to head down the familiar path towards the nearest little town, able to feel the protective wards of the castle fading behind her. It was always a risk to venture out of his castle, but the journey to the towns was simple and quick and when she stepped in sight of anyone, her appearance would take on the one that he had given her that first day when the Queen had visited. The only time she looked like herself around others was when she was inside the castle, with Rumpelstiltskin, or when she left for the purpose of doing one of her own deals as people knew an idea of what the Piper looked like.

She stopped though when she heard something, a song, coming from behind the trees moments before she heard someone calling out for help as they stumbled through them. She paused only a moment to observe the woman as she sank to the ground just at the edge of the path, crying, her one hand gripping her ankle, seeming like she'd just run from someone chasing her. She honestly couldn't bring herself to care about the woman's plight or her pleas for help. She wasn't Snow White or Rumpelstiltskin so she hardly cared what was plaguing her. However there was a desperation in her voice and eyes that spoke of a potential client for the Dark One. So she turned and stepped over to her.

"Do you need help?" she asked the woman, trying to gauge how desperate she might be. She was quite sure that with how long Rumpelstiltskin had been cooped up in the castle too tending to her that he could do with a good deal right now. He would forgive her not getting the straw if she brought him another client.

"Yes," the woman sniffled, looking up at her, her blue eyes wet with tears, her brown hair tangled and knotted, her clothes dirtied, "Yes, please," she reached out a hand to Piper.

And that was all that was needed, for her to willingly reach out to help the woman up.

Piper yanked her hand back with a hiss as she felt something prick her to see the woman had a needle sticking out between her closed fingers, and now a smirk on her face. That was the last thing she saw before her world went dark and she fell to the ground.

The woman just smirked, using her foot to roll the woman over onto her back, grinning down at the Piper's sleeping form and knowing she'd be trapped that way forever. She glanced at the castle before she turned and rushed off back through the trees without her limp, not about to risk the Dark One spotting her and coming to collect revenge, content in the knowledge that she'd condemned the Piper to an eternal hell.

Unfortunately…one thing the woman did not count on, was true love prevailing.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin sat at his spinning wheel, watching the wheel go round and round absently, a small smile on his face. His prior caretakers had all gone for straw because they thought he'd be angry or because it was their duty, and Piper had gone because she knew spinning straw was something he enjoyed doing, something that helped him think and focus. That was…a change.

He reached out to help the wheel spin more when his hand froze, his chest constricting painfully as his heart thumped against his ribs. He fell off his stool, clutching at his chest with his other hand, feeling like his heart was dying within him, like someone had reached into his chest and was crushing it in an iron grip. He gasped, knowing what it meant.

"Rose..." he scrambled to his feet, rushing to the window to look out, and there...lying just a step or two out of his gates, just outside the protective wards of his estate, was Piper, his Rose, on the ground.

He didn't bother with human actions, he didn't run for the doors, he didn't rush to her side, no that wasted time and he had MAGIC, so he transported himself right beside her in a swirl of purple smoke.

"Pip!" he cried, knowing whoever had done this to her might be lingering, knowing he couldn't call her by her actual name, not that she wanted him to either, she'd always claimed she preferred Piper and he did as well, because she wasn't Rose Red to him, she was the Piper, HIS Piper. He reached out and touched her cheek, seeing her sleeping...unawakening...

He waved his hand over her, a faint purple light glowing around it as he tried to break whatever spell had befallen her, only to gasp as he realized exactly what sort of magic this was, the Sleeping Curse.

He didn't waste a moment longer before gathered her in his arms, striding back onto his property, walking only so far so that he was within the wards of the castle, the gates slamming shut behind him before he magiced her back to their room, placing her gently on the bed they'd come to share. It had been an accident really, how they'd begun sharing the same bed. She had been stabbed not too long ago, unable to move freely where she pleased, confined to the bed he'd first placed her on, his, not hers. She refused to force him to give up his bed, and, when she'd tried to move herself off it as he refused to do, he'd countered, they'd made a deal, to share the bed, and they had ever since.

And he was NOT ready to go back to being the only one in it.

"Oh Pip..." he breathed, stroking her cheek as he looked at her, trying to think of a way to break the dreaded curse, but the only thing he could think of was true love's kiss.

He knew it would break any curse, that true love was the most powerful magic ever. But that was the problem, wasn't it? When he and Piper had shared their first kiss, when every kiss that followed was just as filled with true love, all the kisses had been done without the intent to break a curse. True Love was magic, yes, but magic could be controlled with focus and both he and Piper had experience with it. They could kiss without fear of it breaking HIS curse because neither of them was willing their kisses to do that.

But now…if he kissed her, it would be with the will and intent to break a curse. It could very well break the curse upon himself as well. Piper was his true love, he knew that in his heart, he didn't even need a bottled true love to prove it to himself either. Milah...she'd been a mistake, a young man's tryst gone wrong, he loved his son dearly, not a day went by he didn't think of him and a way to get him back, but had his son never been born, Milah would never have had to marry him. But then again, she'd never have left him, he'd never have had Bae, he'd never have become the Dark One, and he'd never have met Piper.

Without hesitating, he leaned forward and kissed her. Whether his curse was broken or not, he didn't care. He had hopefully set enough events in motion that the Dark Curse would still be cast even if he were not the Dark One any longer. He'd lost enough to those powers in the past, he would NOT lose her too.

He felt a ripple of magic flash from his lips as the curse was broken. A moment after he pulled away, Piper gasped awake, "Rummy!" she gasped, actual tears in her eyes as she shot up and hugged him tightly, actually crying in his arms.

He knew what it was, he'd done extensive research into the sleeping curse, he knew where she'd been trapped, even for those brief moments, she was terrified and rightly so. He swore to himself as he held her that he would be paying Maleficent (for she was the most likely supplier of a curse such as this) a little visit to see who had done this to her in the first place and make sure they suffered for he could feel it, the Dark One's powers still inside of him. Apparently it had been enough to will HER curse to break and had stopped the kiss from breaking his own.

"There there dearie," he held her tight, "I'll protect you."

He would always protect her.

A/N: I'm so sorry there was no chapter yesterday :( I received a very harsh ask in my tumblr and the accusations made in it really got to me and I just couldn't focus or bring myself to think about fanfiction or editing afterwards :( It took most of yesterday to just calm myself and try to write a polite and reasonable response back. I was finally able to gather my thoughts enough to respond, but getting all of it written down took more out of me than I thought it would and it was still very hard to focus on editing :(

I hope you liked Piper and Rumple here though :) Just a little true love's kiss for you all ;)

Some notes on reviews...

The IYC, and my 2 new spinoffs, will be updated this month yup :) I hope you'll enjoy the Thor/OC too :)


	17. Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts

Mr. Gold and Regina stood in the front room of his shop, Henry sleeping in the back with David watching over him. The boy had been dead tired and they were trying to help him sleep without returning to the room, now that the message had been sent, they didn't want to risk him going there again.

"I take it your boy refused again?" Gold glanced at Regina.

She sighed, "He refuses to leave the shop till the others come back."

He eyed her, "Do I hear doubt in your voice dearie?"

"Well even you can admit it's a slim to none chance they'll do it," Regina crossed her arms, "They're up against my mother. If they don't manage to get to the squid ink…"

"They will."

"Look at you," she smirked, "Siding with hope," she nearly sneered the last word, "When did you get so soft Rumple?"

"Careful dearie," Gold's eyes narrowed, "The student has yet to pass the teacher."

Regina's lips pursed at that, "I think we need to take precautions."

"They'll make it to the portal dearie, I have no doubt about that," he turned and picked up a small candlestick holder, starting to polish it.

"So a portal opens, but who's to say it'll be THEM coming through?" she brought up, "It could be my mother and I know neither one of us wants that. We have to find where they're coming through, and destroy that portal. Between the two of us, we can summon up enough magic to destroy it."

"Or we can trust that they'll succeed," he muttered, he knew very well that a small part of that plan would involve, if it was NOT Cora…that Emma would be destroyed along with it and thus leaving Henry all to her through no fault of her own. But that would also mean Piper would be destroyed as well and he was not about to let that happen.

"You REALLY think they will?" she scoffed.

"As I said, I have no doubt about it."

"And what makes you so sure?" she glared, she was trying, she really was, to be better, to be a better person for her son, but if Cora came through…her son would be in danger and she was NOT going to let it come to that, "They're a bunch of heroes running around with swords and sticks. They'll be no match for my mother."

"Because they are not a bunch of heroes, dearie," he started to grin, "I think you forget what the Pied Piper was classified as in the scope of hero or villain. SHE will do what they aren't strong enough to do."

Regina was quite a long while as she watched him polish the metal, "You have too much faith in her."

"She's earned it," he shrugged easily, "I've seen the lengths she'll go to protect someone she loves. And she will protect her cousin and niece to the bitter end. And," he glanced up at her, "I do believe she has a grudge against your mother as well."

~8~

Mary Margaret led the way through the caves that ran below the castle that had been her home, a torch in hand, as she bought them to the area carved out in the wall before them where Rumpelstiltskin's cell had been, "Rumpelstiltskin's cell," she breathed, "I haven't been here since before Regina's curse," she trailed off a moment, watching as Piper stepped up, right to the edge of the entrance to the cell and just…stood there, staring at it.

She felt her heart clench painfully for her cousin, to be standing there where her true love had been kept prisoner, locked away as though he were a danger. If she'd known, if she'd only known that the man had been her cousin's true love she would NEVER have allowed them to do this, to capture him. But even as she thought that she closed her eyes, she could admit…if she'd known her cousin was his true love her first thought wouldn't have been a joy that Rose had found someone but that now they'd have a way to control him without imprisoning him. She knew enough of herself to know that that was what she'd have thought, a way to control the Dark One instead of happiness. And with that realization…she knew her cousin had been right to think to stay away, to allow her to believe that she had died. That was exactly what Piper had said she feared they'd do, use her as bait, use her to trap him, and she had just admitted that, at that point in time, she would have used her cousin to control the man.

Piper had had every right to let her think she was dead after Regina had been dealt with.

"This is where he told us you were going to be the savior," she swallowed, and looked at Emma instead, needing to focus on something positive.

"He knew?" Emma glanced at her.

"It was prophesized."

"It was planned," Piper corrected, "Only the product of true love could break the curse, it was something he had worked into the curse itself," she turned to Mary Margaret, "The only true love he had on hand, that a child could result from, was you Snow. You and David's."

"But…if Gold's your true love," Emma frowned, "Why couldn't you two have a kid? Why'd it have to be me?"

Piper looked down a moment before shaking her head and looking up at Emma, "Why did it have to be Regina to cast the curse when Rummy had the heart of the one he loved the most right in front of him," she gestured to herself, "I could have easily been the sacrifice needed for the curse, Emma. I COULD have been the one to supply the child that would break it. But Rummy had been grooming Regina to be the caster long before he met me, and…the power of the Dark One burns too powerfully in this realm that…a child never happened," she took a breath, "I did try though," she looked at Mary Margaret, "I offered him my heart to cast the curse earlier, to find his son sooner," she smiled sadly, "He refused."

"Because he needed the child born?" Mulan guessed, struggling to keep up.

"Because he loved me too much to crush my heart," Piper shook her head, "You think Rummy and Regina villains, and yes, they are, I am as well," she held up her hand to stop Mary Margaret from denying that, from trying to say she was a hero, "The things I have done Snow, you KNOW I am thought a villain," she continued, "The difference between Rummy and Regina though…Rummy only wanted to return to his son, out of love and regret. Regina…" she shook her head, "She is fueled by anger and hatred and revenge. SHE could go so far as to crush the heart of someone she loved to cast the curse. Rummy…he could not."

The small group fell silent at that thought, never having looked at it from that point of view before. To think that the Evil Queen was truly more Evil than the Dark One…but there it was, wasn't it? Even in their names it was obvious. EVIL and DARK were two very different things.

"Come on," Emma shook her head out of her thoughts, "We need to find the ink."

They all stepped into the cell, looking around at everything that was there, but there was hardly anything.

"The squid ink," Aurora frowned, "It's not here."

"Gold said we would find it," Mary Margaret argued as Piper frowned and just…looked around, standing there as though she were trying to listen for something or feel something around her.

"Well, was there anyone else in here with him?" Mulan asked, "Could they have taken the ink?"

"No, he was kept alone. Visitors were forbidden. He was…" she swallowed hard, her heart breaking all over again as she glanced at Piper as she moved to feel along a wall, realizing that all those months they had kept Rumpelstiltskin in the cell were months she had been without him, "Too dangerous to allow any human contact."

"Your guards were rubbish though," Piper murmured, "Especially with a curse coming," she glanced at Mary Margaret, "I was the last person to see him before the curse but he had no ink with him…"

"How'd he keep from going crazy?" Emma frowned at that.

"Me," Piper breathed, finding a bit of parchment stuck in a crack in the wall and pulling it out to see her name was written all over the paper, line after line. The first line was Rose, the second Red, and the third Piper, over and over and over, all the names he knew her by.

"What is it?" Mary Margaret moved over, only to smile slightly when she saw, "You were always on his mind."

"Always in his heart," Piper whispered, her hand absently coming up to rest over her heart as she smiled at the paper.

"That's all sweet and all, but where's the rest of the ink?" Emma cut in.

"We've looked everywhere," Aurora shook her head, "There's no ink in this cell."

"Well, it has to be," Mary Margaret argued, "He told Henry…"

"You were in a Netherworld," Emma turned to Piper, "Maybe something got lost in translation."

"No," Piper shook her head, "I waited until Henry was gone before waking, nothing was left unsaid."

"She heard right," Mulan agreed.

"You found it?" Mary Margaret turned to her only to see her holding up an empty bottle.

"In a manner of speaking. There _was_ ink in the cell."

"Son of a bitch…" Emma hissed.

"Aurora no!" Piper reached out to stop her, having been keeping one eye on the princess from the moment she rejoined their group, but she was too late. Aurora grabbed a rock and threw it out of the cell, right at the lever that controlled the door, causing it to fall down and trap them all inside.

"Aurora, what are you doing?!" Emma demanded.

"It is no fault of hers," Piper defended, "I do believe you have something that belongs to her, Cora!"

A small chuckle sounded from the darkness of the hall outside the cell as Cora and Hook stepped into the torchlight, Aurora's heart in her hand. Cora grinned and held out her other hand, magically summoning the compass into her clutches.

"No!" Emma lunged for it, but the bars of the cell, jagged pikes of white, stopped her.

"Don't waste your energy, dear," Cora smirked, "Rumpelstiltskin himself couldn't escape from this cell," Piper narrowed her eyes at that though Mary Margaret saw her move the parchment behind her back so Cora wouldn't see, "Thank you, Aurora. We couldn't have done it without you."

"You took her heart," Emma shook her head at Cora.

"Actually, I did," Hook stepped up, "It was a gift."

Cora started to squeeze Aurora's heart making her wince and cry out in pain before a shrill whistle rang out, making Cora herself wince and loosen her grip on the heart in reaction.

"Try it again and I kill you," Piper threatened.

Cora's eyes narrowed at her, but she didn't squeeze the heart again, just placed it into a pouch on her belt, "Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits."

"Hook!" Emma shouted as the two turned to go, "Wait. Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke. He needs me."

Hook gave her an incredulous glance, "Perhaps you should've considered that, before you abandoned me on that beanstalk."

"You should be thanking her," Piper stepped beside Emma, "I was more for letting Anton crush you than to give us a head start."

"You would've done the same," Emma defended herself.

"Actually, no," Hook glared, stepping closer, "Do you know what this is, Emma?" he held up the dried up bean that had been on Anton's necklace.

"Anton's bean," Piper frowned at it.

"Yes, indeed," he tossed it up and caught it, "A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this…well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility, now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you," he looked pointedly at Emma, "The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done with you."

And with that, he turned and strode into the darkness with Cora, leaving them trapped.

"Emma," Piper sighed, looking at her, "Next time, please do listen to me about our enemies and how to handle them."

"Yeah," Emma swallowed hard, glaring at Hook's retreating form, at least Piper hadn't said 'I told you so.'

~8~

Henry had just woken up from sleeping, for the first time without any sort of dreams of the burning room. David thought it was a reason to celebrate and had gotten breakfast for himself, Henry, and even Gold from Granny's. They were actually all standing in the shop, Henry finishing his hot chocolate with cinnamon while Gold explained what some of the objects in the shop were for, when Ruby and the Dwarves ran in.

"Where…where is she?" Ruby asked, seeming surprised to see Gold standing there, "Where's Regina?"

"What's going on?" Henry frowned.

"Ruby what happened?" David stepped up.

"All the magic has been drained from the mines," she told them.

"What?" Henry frowned.

"Someone snuck in after our shift and took everything," Leroy glared, "Nobody steals from a dwarf!"

"Except the Queen," Doc huffed.

"…and Rumpelstiltskin," Happy added.

"Well, as you can see, I am right here," Gold gestured to himself though he was inwardly cursing, he would have thought that Regina would realize it would take BOTH of them to cast any sort of magic to destroy a portal but the woman seemed to have thought of that in taking the magic from the mines, "She's going to destroy the portal."

"What?!" David rounded on him.

"She expressed a concern that Cora would attempt to enter instead of them."

"We need to find her!" Henry called, "We need to stop her. We need to help Emma and Mary Margaret!"

"Where would the portal open?" David turned to Gold.

"I believe I know," he murmured, turning to lead them out. He was sure that he could have magiced them there, but Regina was clever, she was a good student, she would have put up wards to prevent him tracking her or teleporting right there. No, this had to be done the mortal way.

~8~

Emma slammed her sword against the bars of the cell as the others watched, "Emma you will not be able to break through that way," Piper warned.

"It was enchanted to hold Rumpelstiltskin," Mary Margaret agreed, "We don't have a chance."

"This is my fault," Aurora blinked back her tears, feeling terrible for everything that was happening.

"No, it's mine," Mulan shook her head, "Cora stole your heart because I failed to protect you."

"That's very sweet, but I believe it's my fault," Emma huffed, "I'm the savior, and I'm not doing much saving, am I?"

"We're going to win this fight, you know," Mary Margaret tried to keep optimistic, "Good always defeats evil."

"You sound like Henry."

"Guess optimism runs in the family."

"I think it skipped a generation."

"That could be my part of the family seeping in," Piper remarked.

Emma gave her a look, "Last time I checked, YOUR genes don't impact HER kids," she nodded at Mary Margaret.

"Perhaps in your world," Piper nodded, "However in the Enchanted Forest, the bond of blood-sisters is an enchantment of its own."

"What?" Emma shook her head, not understanding.

"When we were younger," Mary Margaret smiled at Piper, "We always said we were closer than cousins, that we were sisters. So we decided to make it official, we became blood sisters."

"What like…blood brothers?" Emma frowned, "You like cut your hands and press them together right?"

"In general, yes," Piper nodded, "However here it is more of a small enchantment of sorts. You take on minute traits from the other person. It can be a lottery of what is given or taken between sisters."

"What did you get?" Emma glanced at Piper.

"I can understand the birds," Piper shrugged, "I…find myself with the smallest of hopes even when I know I should not attempt such a feat."

"I like to think I'm stronger than I was," Mary Margaret smiled at Piper, though to be honest, she wasn't entirely sure what she had gotten from that. But then again, they had been so young, so very young that she might have gotten something and not even realized, "You always were stronger than me Rose," she started to smile wider, "I think Emma's stronger than me too."

"So it skipped a generation," Piper joked.

Mary Margaret looked at Emma, "You shouldn't think that hope skipped you Emma. You should know better than anybody. You broke the curse."

"What have I done since then?" Emma shook her head, "I got us stranded over here, burned down the wardrobe, let Cora get the ash, and now, the compass. The only reason I ever broke the curse, was because it was exactly what Gold wanted me to do. I had nothing to do with it. It was his plan. Once I fulfilled that role, maybe that's all I was ever meant to do. Everything I've ever done he had it all mapped out before I was even born."

"He did much the same with Regina," Piper offered, "And you are nothing like her."

"Yeah, _I'm_ not powerful. I'm…I'm not…a savior. I'm a pawn and that's exactly why we are in here and Cora's on her way to Storybrooke."

Piper started to smile and shake her head at that.

"What?" Emma demanded seeing that.

"You recall Cora said that Rummy himself could not escape this cell?"

"Yeah, and that's why we're stuck here," Emma crossed her arms.

"Ah but you fail to realize how wrong she is," Piper smiled fully now, holding up the paper, "It was not that he could not escape…he CHOSE not to."

"What?" Mary Margaret turned to her, shocked.

"You may recall a few bits of magic that we gleamed off Cora as children, Snow," Piper held up the paper flat in her hands, the writing facing up, "But I lived with the Dark One for year," and with that she gently blew on the paper, the words literally flying off the page, the ink wafting in the air.

"Whoa," Emma gaped, "Squid ink. Gold wrote the scroll in squid ink!"

Piper gestured to the door with one final blow and the words flew over to them, swirling around the bars and forcing them open.

"Yes!" Mary Margaret beamed, leaping forward to hug her cousin as Mulan hurried through the open way, "Good always wins."

"Wait," Aurora called as they started to head out, "I can't go. You have to tie me up."

"No," Mulan frowned, heading back to her, "I'm not leaving without you."

"I can't be trusted. Not as long as Cora has my heart."

"Then I will get it back for you."

"Mulan…"

"I will," Mulan repeated firmly.

"Mulan," Emma called, "We got to go."

"Do it," Aurora nodded, moving to sit outside the cell, against the remains of the bars, allowing Mulan to tie her up quickly but securely.

"I'm sorry," Mary Margaret murmured to Piper.

"What for?" Piper glanced at her.

"All this time...he could have escaped, gone back to you, but...he didn't," Mary Margaret murmured.

"And you take this to be evidence that his feelings for me are not as true or deep as he claims?" Piper nearly scoffed at her cousin, "Snow...he wanted to be there, he wanted to be there in the middle of the curse. He needed Regina to think, right to the very end, that he was a prisoner and that he did not have the upper hand he had had all along."

"How do you know?" Mary Margaret shook her head, not wanting her cousin to be hurt.

"How do you know your love with Charming is true?" Piper countered, "I believe in it."

Mary Margaret smiled at that, and...her words DID make sense. If he'd escaped or run off...Regina would have not cast the curse when she had.

"Good luck," Aurora called to them, snapping Mary Margaret out of her thoughts.

"Thank you," Mary Margaret offered, "Good luck to you."

"Come," Piper turned and hurried away, the group rushing after her.

~8~

The small group of women reached the edge of Lake Nostos to see that there was a geyser in the middle that was refilling the lake with water, clearly Cora's doing, and that the woman in question, along with Hook, were standing at the edge, gripping the compass between them, about to jump into the whirlpool that had to be the portal.

Mary Margaret quickly pulled out her bow and arrow and shot the compass out of their hands, "You're not going anywhere!" she shouted to them, "This portal's taking us home. The compass," she cried to the others, "Get it!"

"Find it first," they could hear Cora hiss to Hook, "I'll take care of them," before she turned to shoot a fireball at Mary Margaret, but Mulan deflected it with her sword.

Emma pulled her own sword and began to fight with Hook over the compass, Mary Margaret and Mulan focusing on Cora. Piper ran towards Emma, managing to grab the compass while Emma distracted Hook.

"No!" Mulan shouted and they all glanced over to see Cora disappear in a swirl of purple but the pouch holding Aurora's heart started to fall towards the whirlpool. Surprisingly, Hook reached out to grab it and tossed it to Mulan.

"I may be a pirate," he shouted, "But I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart, unless it's over me."

"Mulan go!" Piper shouted, knowing the girl would be no good to them if they were fighting towards the whirlpool, "GO!"

Mulan jumped and gave Mary Margaret her sword, "Take it. It deflects her magic," and turned to run off.

Piper put her pipe to her lips and blew a note, building the energy before she sent a blast behind Mary Margaret where Cora had appeared, Emma resuming her fight with Hook. She ran over to Mary Margaret, pulling the woman back towards the whirlpool, "We need to go!" she shouted over the sound of the geyser and spinning waters.

They looked over when they heard Emma grunt to see Hook had managed to flip the woman onto her back and was pinning her to the ground. Piper shoved the compass into Mary Margaret's hand and ran for Emma, grabbing a piece of a fallen branch on her way.

"Normally, I prefer to do other more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back," Hook remarked, "With my life on the line, you've left me no choice. A bit of advice? When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it. You might want to quit."

"How about YOU do that!" Piper nearly spat at him, before she slammed the branch against Hook's head, "You do not speak to her like that!" she hissed at him, anger in her voice. She took a deep breath and turned to Emma, holding out a hand to help her up, Mary Margaret running over to them.

"Now let's go home!" Emma panted as they turned to the whirlpool.

~8~

Gold led Henry, David, and Ruby to the wishing well, all of them able to tell besides Regina standing there, that something was wrong. It sounded like there was a storm brewing inside the well that was also giving off an eerie glow.

"Mom?" Henry called as she spun around, "What are you doing?!"

"I'm protecting you, Henry," she told him.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're going to kill them!" David exclaimed.

"Sorry, dearie," Gold stepped up to her, waving his hand over the well, "But I can't let you do this."

"We can't let Cora come through the portal!" Regina argued, pulling out what looked like a fairy wand, one Gold recognized from his shop, one he should have noticed was missing, and used it against the well, trying to keep the magic going.

"Mom!" Henry cried.

"You have no idea what she would do to us!" Regina defended.

"Emma, Piper, and Mary Margaret are going to defeat her. They're the ones that are going to come through. Good always defeats evil. You should know that more than anyone."

"What I know, is my mother will destroy everything I love," Regina swallowed, "And that means you. And I can't let that happen."

She turned back to the well and focused the wand once more, pushing all her magic towards destroying it as Gold pushed his against hers to protect it.

~8~

The three women started to run for the whirlpool…only for Cora to appear magically in front of them, blocking the path. She threw out her hand, sending them all flying backwards onto the ground. She stalked towards Mary Margaret, intent to get the compass as Emma and Piper struggled to get up. Piper groaning as she rolled on her side, struggling to breathe as Cora sent her flying into a rock, knocking the wind out of her and probably bruising her ribs soundly.

"Why do you want to go to Storybrooke?" Mary Margaret demanded as she stood up and scrambled back from Cora.

"Because my daughter needs me," Cora smiled.

"Go," Piper wheezed, wincing as Emma tried to help her up, "I'll be fine, help Snow!"

"And now," Cora held up her hand as Emma ran for her mother, "I'm going to give her the one thing she's always wanted, your heart. Goodbye, Snow."

"NO!" Emma jumped in front of Mary Margaret, shoving her aside, as Cora tried to reach into her chest, ending up grabbing Emma's heart instead.

"Emma!" both Mary Margaret and Piper called, Piper finally managing to stand.

"Oh, you foolish girl," Cora hissed, "Don't you know? Love is weakness!"

Piper ran for them, trying to get enough air in her lungs to try and stop Cora as the woman tried to pull Emma's heart out of her chest…but couldn't. She tugged and tugged, but the heart was fixed in place, "Oh thank god," Piper breathed, seeing that…seeing that what typically happened for Sirens when someone besides themselves tried to pull their heart out was happening to Emma. It seemed the woman had gotten just a little bit more from her mother and the blood-sister bond they'd formed than they thought.

"No," Emma looked at Cora, "It's strength," before a burst of white energy pushed Cora away, forcing her to disappear, "What was that?" Emma breathed, looking at Mary Margaret and Piper as they reached her.

"Just know your heart is forever protected," Piper told her, able to breathe a little more easily, "Only you shall be able to remove it in the future."

Mary Margaret looked at Piper, realizing what she meant before smiling, even when her cousin hadn't been there, some part of her had always been protecting her and her daughter, she reached out and took Piper's hand and Emma's hand, heading for the whirlpool, "Ready?" she asked them.

"Yeah," Emma took the compass, squeezing it hard, "Let's go!"

They all took a deep breath and jumped into the whirlpool, feeling the vortex sucking them between worlds before it closed behind them, trapping Cora and Hook behind.

~8~

"Mom please!" Henry begged, but David kept him back, knowing that all the magic growing between Regina and Gold could hurt him if he got too close, "Stop it! You can't! You're going to kill them! Please! No! They're going to make it through! We have to turn it off! You're going to kill them!"

He struggled in David's grip so much that he managed to slip out of his hold and ran towards the well, but Regina stopped her magic and turned to catch him, but the effects were still present and Gold was struggling to erase what Regina had done, "Henry! What are you doing?"

"Emma, Piper, and Mary Margaret are going to come through," he pleaded, tears in his eyes, "I know it. You said you wanted to change, to be better. This is how. You want me to have faith in you? Have faith in me."

"Regina," Gold nodded at the well.

Regina swallowed hard and picked up the wand again, aiming it at the well to absorb the magic back into the wand, pulling the barrier off the portal. She stumbled back as the last of the magic entered the wand…but no one came out of the well.

"No…" Henry stared at it in horror.

"I'm sorry, Henry," Regina murmured, "I'm sorry…"

But then…a hand reached up from the edge of the well and Emma pulled herself out, followed by Mary Margaret and Piper, David, Ruby, and Gold rushing over to help them out.

"Mom?" Henry stared.

"Henry!" Emma ran for him, the two hugging tightly.

"Charming," Mary Margaret grabbed her husband and kissed him quickly, hugging him as well.

"Rummy," Piper stepped over to Gold who had taken a few paces away from the happy reunions.

"Pip," he started to grin at her, stepping back once more when she tried to take a step towards him, "Show me," he demanded gently, holding out his hand to her.

"What's going on?" Mary Margaret frowned, seeing her cousin not getting a happy reunion.

But Piper seemed unperturbed, "Must you know me so well?" she asked her true love even as she started to roll up her sleeve.

"It comes with the territory I'm afraid," he remarked.

"And what territory is that?"

"That you are mine," he reached out, gently taking her hand and looking at the burn on her arm, ignoring Mary Margaret's gasp from it, that she'd hidden it.

"Careful Rummy," she warned with a smile, "Else I may think you take me only to be a treasure to keep."

"You ARE Pip," he told her, gently bringing her arm up to place a kiss on her burn, healing it, her hand moving to his cheek as her arm stayed up, "You are one of my greatest treasures."

She smiled at him, a softness and a happiness in her eyes that Mary Margaret hadn't seen since they'd woken in the Forest, "And YOU are worth twice your weight in gold to me," she joked.

Gold just smiled and leaned in to kiss her, winding his arms around her waist as the others shifted around them, all of them not used to him or her expressing such open emotion, or at least not since their memories broke. They broke away a moment later, resting their foreheads to each others, before they just hugged the other a moment,

"Thank you, Regina," David looked at the woman in question, standing off to the side, silently observing.

"What happened?" Mary Margaret looked between them all as she pulled away from hugging Ruby.

"She saved you," Henry smiled at his adoptive mother, "She saved all of you."

"Thank you," Emma nodded at her.

"You're welcome," Regina said shortly.

"Um, your mom…she's, uh…she's…a piece of work, you know?"

"Indeed, I do," Regina nodded, "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Emma glanced over at Gold and Piper before she stepped away, allowing Mary Margaret to hug her grandson as she made her way over to the couple, "We need to talk," she looked at both of them, "You created the curse, Gold. You made me the savior. So everything I've ever done…it's exactly what you wanted me to do."

"I created the curse, dearie," he shook his head, pulling away from Piper but keeping his arm around her waist, his hand absently running along her side, healing the ribs he knew were bothering her, "But I didn't make you. I merely took advantage of what you are, the product of true love."

"As I told you Emma," Piper nodded.

"That's why you're powerful. And everything you've done, you've done yourself."

"So you don't know?" Emma glanced at Piper.

"Know what?"

"I was just reunited with him Emma," Piper reminded her, "I have hardly had a chance to detail our adventures to him."

"Cora," Emma began, "Tried to rip my heart out, but she couldn't. She was blasted back by something inside me. By…by…"

"By magic," Piper finished.

"Whatever that was, I didn't do that," Gold stated, "You did."

"Your heart is protected by the blood-sisterhood Snow and I share," Piper informed her, "But the magic…true love creates magic, and it created YOU Emma."

"Emma!" Mary Margaret called, ending the conversation as Emma turned back to them, spotting Henry finishing a hug of his own with Regina.

"Looks like we have some catching up to do," David smiled as his daughter.

"You have no idea," Emma muttered.

"How about dinner at Granny's?" Ruby suggested, "On me."

"As long as it's not Chimera, I'm in. Hey, kid," she turned to Henry, "You hungry?"

"Yeah," he smiled, moving over to Emma's side, leaving Regina alone..

"Rose?" Mary Margaret called seeing her not moving, "You coming?"

"You were able to spend 28 years around your love," Piper shook her head, "Around your friends and family. I should like time with Rummy alone."

Mary Margaret nodded, understanding, before she turned and walked off with the others.

"Congratulations," Gold called to Regina as the woman turned to head off in the other direction, "You just reunited mother and son. Maybe one day, they'll even invite you for dinner."

Regina shot him a glare but left with no other word spoken.

"Now, dearie," Gold turned Piper in his arms, looking at her, "What is the real reason you wished to depart your beloved cousin?"

"Can you not hear it?" she murmured, a frown on her face as she turned to look through the trees. It was true she wanted to be with him at the moment, to go check on August too, but there was also something...a faint _something_ she could hear in the distance.

"Hear what?" he frowned.

"Something has come to Storybrooke…" her gaze drifted in one direction, a direction Gold knew led to the docks…but from standing in the forest, they couldn't see.

No one could see, really, the Jolly Rodger lifting up through a whirlpool and sailing towards Storybrooke, Hook at the helm, Cora keeping the ship invisible with her magic.

A/N: Aww, Gold knows her so well :) We still have a little bit of resolution left for Snow and Piper, but I think they worked through a lot of it in the Enchanted Forest ;) I can't wait to get to Cora being in Storybrooke :)

I also wanted to thank you all for your support with the tumblr situation :') It definitely shook me up, left me a little uneasy even after I replied, but your reviews cheered me up so much! ^-^

And...since it's Friday the 13th, I think we could all do with a little bit of luck so I'll be posting a second chapter of this story today too ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh there'll definitely be a chapter about the woman who had it out for Piper and the revenge he'll seek ;) But I can't say when it'll be though ;) But thank you :) I don't think I'd ever permanently stop writing fanfiction...unless I got like a huge book deal and got published, but even then I'd still write fanfiction to keep the creative juices going lol :) I'm very glad you don't see the OCs as Mary Sues or too powerful, I really try to find a balance for them but at times it seems like almost anything is a Mary Sue now-a-days lol. I actually had a friend rant about it once that if you took all the backstories of superheroes (like Batman and Superman, etc) and summarized them but used feminine nouns for them, people would cry 'Mary Sue!' when it's BATMAN, to them it means Mary Sues can't exist because everyone is a Mary Sue in some way lol. I like that theory :)


	18. The Burning Room

The Burning Room

The flames were everywhere, the room on fire, everything, even the ground was burning around her. She held up her hands, trying to block the flames and the smoke choking her lungs, stumbling back as though she'd be able to escape the flames, but they surrounded her. She stumbled, her arms lowering and swinging around her as though to try and balance her only to wave right through the fires around her. She grabbed her arm to her as the flames burned her flesh and screamed…

Piper sat up on her bed, but barely managing to hold her scream in. She was panting, looking around the large dark room around her before she put her hand to her head and closed her eyes, feeling tears in them that she refused to let fall. She was back in her old room of the Dark Castle. The last few times she had tried to sleep since she'd woken from the Sleeping Curse had been…horrendous. This wasn't the first time she'd dreamt of the burning room, of being caught there, but this was the first time that it had hurt her. It seemed like it got worse each and every time she was there, the flames were larger, the heat was more intense, the smoke thicker. It was terrifying to her.

She'd always been afraid of large amounts of fire, ever since she was a little girl. She'd gotten used to it as she got older though, she was able to handle being around bigger cases of flames. She was fine with candles and torches and small campfires. But anything larger than that and she was just…she couldn't do it. She hadn't understood why she'd been so frightened of it. Snow had been afraid of horses for a short while after her own had run wild. That was understandable, she'd had a bad experience with horses and it frightened her to think of them. But she had never experienced something like that, not till her kingdom had been burning. So she hadn't understood as a child why she was frightened by the fire. It was beautiful at times, warm, it made soothing sounds, but when she'd been little it had just terrified her.

Her mother had taken her aside and explained it was a natural reaction for them, as Sirens, to fear fire. Being a Siren of the Sea meant that water was even more important to her mother than to the Sirens of the Lakes. Water was the source of their lifeforce, according to her mother, and fire was the only thing that could combat water and stop it, rid someone of it. It was perfectly natural to be afraid of fire if something inside her was telling her to fear it. But she had tried to be brave around it since then, she'd hated the idea of being afraid of something just because of being part Siren, she didn't want her Siren side to control her just as much as she didn't want her human side to either, she wanted a balance. So she'd fought and tried to push past it and, for the most part, she'd managed to have normal reactions to fire since then. But anything larger than a campfire was not something she could handle and that room…she hated it.

Rumpelstiltskin had been elsewhere when she'd fallen asleep the last few times, really she'd only been napping, but each time it happened, to wake and find that the nightmare was the same…she hadn't wanted to wake him. So, for the first time since she'd been stabbed during one of her deals, she'd slept in her own bed. And the dreams kept coming. She knew that Rumpelstiltskin was worried, she knew she'd hurt him by asking to head back to her old room. He probably thought she was uncomfortable with sharing his bed but it was just…she didn't want him to see her like that, to jolt awake when she screamed herself out of the nightmares.

She didn't want him to see her so weak.

She had spent too long being weak in the sight of others, she'd forced herself to be stronger, to grow stronger, and she finally had. She'd come to the Dark One with her head held high, her back straight, strength radiating off of her despite her completely haggard appearance. She had survived worse feats in the past, endured worse situations than a burning room and a nightmare. She'd proven herself as someone that he could trust and depend on and someone that could hold her own. She'd shown herself to be someone who could stomach the things he did and not bat an eyelash or be affected by it after it was over. And now this one little sleeping curse had her screaming and flailing from nightmares?

She just…wanted to wait, just long enough for the nightmares to pass. She wasn't...used to this, she wasn't used to having someone there to see her like that. Sure, Snow had been around once or twice when she'd had a nightmare in the past, but something about allowing Rumpelstiltskin seeing her like that, seeing her afraid of figments of her imagination made her uneasy. She didn't want him to see her like that. She wasn't used to someone being there to watch over her and take care of her. It had been...years since someone had cared for her and it was hard for her to imagine someone doing so now even when the man himself had proven he'd be there and tend to her. She wasn't used to not being the one to take care of herself, she'd been alone for quite a long time, depending on just herself, it was hard to let go and allow herself to be seen by someone else so vulnerably. She would apologize when all this was over, of course, she'd explain to him and they could move past this. But it didn't seem likely to happen any time soon, the nightmares were just getting worse and worse.

She moved to put her other hand to her face as well, wanting to rub her temples as her head pounded when she let out a hiss of pain at moving her arm and looked down at it. She stared for a long moment when she saw it…a burn on her arm, the same arm that had been burned in the dream. She let out a breath and gently started to trace it with her other hand, biting her lip at the slight pain she felt upon the touch.

She let out a breath as she let her arms drop and shook her head, that was not a good sign at all. It meant that things were much worse than she thought they were if the dream was coming true, if the burns she sustained in them manifested in the waking world. She brought her knees up to her chest and dropped her head onto it, closing her eyes a moment to try and breathe, try to calm her heart a little more. She would have to talk to Rumpelstiltskin about this, no matter how much she didn't want to. With all her chores around the house and the way he loved to watch her and touch her he would notice the burns quickly and he'd ask and she'd end up having to tell him. They were working towards a new understanding, she knew, now that things were out in the open about who she was, they were both trying to not keep things from the other, to be honest with each other. She wouldn't lie to him about her burns or her nightmares, she'd only tried to avoid having to bring them up.

She blinked her eyes open and looked up a moment later, a soft sound from outside distracting her. She felt herself smile when she saw a flash of lightning in the distance through her dark window and got up. She made her way to the window and looked out, her smile widening when she saw it was raining. It wasn't a downpouring type of rain, but it was a steady and soothing sort. Water would be just what she needed. She'd always enjoyed the rain, it was soothing and calming and it made her feel free and like things were being washed away. She used to go outside with her mother when she was very small, the two of them smiling and laughing in the water that fell from the sky, her mother claiming she could feel a hint of the sea in the droplets. That was just what she needed to forget her nightmare for the moment.

So she turned and hurried out of the castle as quietly as she could.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin was not a stupid man, nor was he blind to the people around him when said people were ones he cared for. He knew, the moment Piper requested that she return to her rooms, that something was wrong. He just…didn't know what. He'd watched her carefully through the days, trying to see if he could discern something in her movements and expressions that would indicate what was bothering her. It…hurt, something he would never ever admit to anyone, to know she wasn't telling him what was wrong. But he tried to be patient, another thing he'd never admit to anyone, and wait for her to come to him. He was generally patient by nature, he had to be to cause events to fall into place so he could find his son, but when it came to interacting with people he could be more than pushy and impatient. But this was Piper, she wasn't just a deal to him, she wasn't just a person, she was more than that and he'd wait.

But he couldn't sleep, even as a rain poured outside his window, a sound that had always helped him drift to sleep before. He just…couldn't stop thinking about Piper. In the short time that she'd spent in his room, in his bed, he had gotten used to falling asleep with her in his arms. He'd tried the last few days to sleep without her and ended up lying awake staring at his ceiling. So he'd taken to pacing his room at night, trying to weary himself out enough to rest. He'd noticed that Piper seemed in much the same state during the day, she was quieter, slower at times, and she blinked more than normal, something he'd come to associate as a thing she did when she was tired.

He sighed and moved over to the window of his room, crossing his arms as he leaned against the edge of it, looking out at the courtyard of his castle…when a bolt of lightning illuminated the area and he saw someone standing down there in the rain. He shifted, frowning as he squinted, till another bolt of lightning revealed a familiar head of blonde hair now flat with the rain.

"What in the world is she doing there?" he muttered to himself before he disappeared in a poof of purple smoke and reappeared just under a small covered corridor that ran along the courtyard.

He stood there a moment longer, watching as she just…stood there, in one of his shirts still, her legs bared, her hair pulled over her shoulder and soaked with rain. She appeared to have her eyes closed which would explain why she hadn't looked back over her shoulder at him to see him standing there.

He opened his mouth, about to call out to her and ask if she'd gone mad to stand out there in the frigid rain…but then something caught his eye. He frowned, leaning slightly forward as though it would help him see more clearly through the rain, before he realized what it was. He stepped out from under his cover and nearly stalked towards her, his gaze focused on the hem of his shirt on her back, dipped just slightly lower than normal, weighed down by the rain, allowing him to see something that was always hidden by her hair or clothes.

Scars.

He could make them out now, stopping only a foot behind her. He could see her tense slightly as she inhaled and knew that she knew he was right behind her, but he didn't speak. He just…stared at her neck, at the faint pale pink and white scars that were just peeking out from the top of her shirt. He reached out a finger and traced the start of the ones he could see.

"So there they are," he murmured behind her.

Piper let out a breath and looked down a moment, before looking up and nodding, "There they are."

"And the story behind these?" he inquired. She'd told him about the scars on her thigh, how they'd been made by a band of men that had seen her as nothing but a weak woman, a piece of meat. They'd tried to get too close to her, tried to attack her in a way she was not ever going to let happen, and she had reacted. She had fought and kicked and screamed and they'd tried to beat her into submission, tried to cut her into silence, and she'd reacted and used her magic to drive them mad.

He'd found them, despite that, she'd given away enough information about it when he'd asked her at a later date about them, and he'd found the men. He'd taken enormous pleasure in dealing with them himself.

But these scars…these were the ones she'd hinted at but he'd never round.

"I believe you can guess what made them," she said quietly.

He frowned at that, there were only a small scattering that he could see. He reached to the neckline of his shirt, hesitating a moment till he felt her move to pull her hair more over her shoulder, a silent signal of permission and he tugged the neckline down more, exposing more of her back to him. He felt the breath leave him at the jagged crisscrossing scars that lined her back. They were…fresh, fresher than the scars that had been on her thigh, but they were very clear what made them.

A whip.

She'd received a lashing.

Several judging by the look of her back, he felt bile rise in him as he unconsciously began to try and count them.

"And how did this happen Pip?" he gently traced the scars down her back, a light purple light sinking into them as he healed them.

"King George does not appreciate others bruising the face of his son," she said quietly, "An attack on a noble, in his kingdom, is punishable by 50 lashes allowing that it does not draw blood."

She turned, feeling his hand curling into a fist against her back, able to almost feel the anger and rage radiating off of him, and took hold of his fist, "We already caused him to suffer," she reminded him, "We took his son."

"We took a prince," he corrected, a hiss in his voice, "The boy was not his son," he looked at her, reaching up to touch her face, "He should not be allowed to draw another breath for what he did to you."

Piper felt herself smile at that, at how protective he was of her, at thinking of the many colorful ways that Rumpelstiltskin could exact his revenge, "One day," she murmured instead.

He gently ran his thumb against her cheek and lifted her face to look at him, "What are you doing out her Pip?" he started to frown, "It's raining."

"I was not aware," she countered dryly.

"Piper," he gave her a look.

She sighed, "The rain calms me."

"And you could not enjoy it from indoors?"

"I could not stay inside any longer."

"Why not?" he started to frown at that, his mind wandering to the reasons why she'd felt the need to leave his castle…and none of them were very good for him. Had she grown tired of it? Had she started to feel like the prisoner King George had made her? Why was she trying to leave?

"I…" she swallowed hard, "I have dreams…of a room, and it is on fire. It is burning all around me and I cannot escape it. I wake and…all I want to do is be anywhere but in any room."

He nodded slowly, understanding now why she'd run for the rain as well, rain was the opposite of fire, "I am sorry Pip," he murmured, absently moving side to side in a comforting swaying motion, Piper still in his arms, "When one falls under the sleeping curse, their soul and mind are sent to the Netherworld, a room where they must face all their deepest regrets."

He fell silent at that, allowing her a chance to offer him what she might have faced while in that room. It didn't matter how long she was there, the Netherworld made it feel like an eternity within moments. You could be asleep for mere moments and feel like you were there forever, or you could be asleep for years and feel the same.

"I was alone," she murmured, "Surrounded by mirrors and just…utterly alone," she frowned at that, "What does that mean?"

"You have no regrets," he remarked, eyeing her, "Interesting. That hardly ever happens."

She considered that a moment, "I could not have stopped Regina killing my parents," she stated, "I cannot regret my inability to help when I am aware I could not do anything. I do not regret allowing Snow to think me dead…the Queen is still out there and my silence is protecting her," she paused, "Those are the only things I can think of that I might have been regretful of."

He blinked and stared at her.

"What?" she frowned, seeing his expression.

"Then…you don't…" he hesitated, not sure how to say it, how to be so open, "You don't regret…"

"You?" she smiled at that, "You are, without a single doubt, the _only thing_ in my life I could never regret Rumpelstiltskin."

He breathed out at that, startled by her declaration, and touched by it all the same. He had known…so many people in his life that came to curse his name. There were so many out there ready to kill him, ready to trap him, torture him, ready to end him. There were so many who would never wish to even meet him, hear his name, come in contact with him.

And here was this one girl, this one woman, saying that HE, Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One, was someone she would never wish to not have met.

That was a first.

"And you, Piper, are, without a single doubt," he mimicked, "The greatest treasure I have ever had."

"Good to know you regret not our deal," she smiled with a small laugh, though he could see it in her eyes, the happiness that was blooming at his own declaration.

"It is the most unexpected one I have ever made, in fact."

"Oh?"

He nodded, swaying her a little more, not even realizing he was turning their standing there into a sort of dance, "I received far more than I ever imagined from it."

"Did you?" she smirked.

He knew she was baiting him to try and make him say a plethora of things about her and right at that moment, he couldn't bring himself to care, "I received a business partner," he began to list, "A new source of magic. A caretaker," he spun her suddenly to the side making her laugh loudly at the action, making their dance even more obvious, "I received…someone who understands, someone strong, someone forceful and playful and as harsh as I can be. I received an incarnation of the sea. I received a heart," he shifted her hand to rest on his own, "A heart to share mine with. I received…love," he ended quietly, "I love you Pip."

"I love you too Rummy," she murmured.

He tilted her chin up and pressed a kiss to her lips, "I do, however, think we ought to get out of this rain, dearie," he pulled away slightly.

"Why?" she frowned.

"White is not a good color to wear when wet," he smirked at her before they disappeared in a poof of purple smoke.

~8~

"You never finished telling me about the room," Piper remarked as she sat on the edge of Rumpelstiltskin's bed a short while later, changed into another shirt, her hair still a bit damp. He was lying on the bed, sitting against the headboard and looking at her as she sat there, "You started to, but I think we became rather distracted."

He grinned at that and giggled, "Ah yes, the burning room," he reached out subtly and took her hand, seeing her tensing at the mention of it, "After experiencing a sleeping curse, at times the soul and mind are pulled back to the room."

"But the room was not on fire the first time," she frowned, tugging his hand closer to her lap, starting to absently trace patters in the back of it with her other hand, distracting herself, paying attention but not wanting to focus entirely on what was being spoken of.

"It is an effect of the curse being broken," he explained, "The mind and soul are pulled back to it."

"But should that have happened?" she wondered, "My mind is protected by my Siren magic. How is it that it is pulled back to the room, should it not be protected from returning to it?"

"Siren magic is…tricky," Rumpelstiltskin began, "I cannot say for certain Pip, I've never heard of a Siren falling under this particular curse but…" he paused, thinking of it. To be quite honest, he had thought as she had, that her mind and magic would protect her from being pulled to the burning room. He should have realized though when he'd seen her struggling to stay awake, struggling to keep up appearances that she wasn't sleeping and realized why she wasn't, "I believe that, because the sleeping curse affected your body as well, and because your mind was already sent to that room, that as it was already there it can return there too."

Piper was silent a long while, thinking about that. It did make sense, the sleeping curse was one of the more powerful curses in the land. And she was only HALF Siren, she had to expect that there would be times and magics that would affect her. There were probably even mind magics that would affect her as well, but she'd not experienced any of them till now. If her mind had gone to the room once, it had already been there, then it could go back. And that thought upset her, she…she didn't want to go back to that room, she really didn't.

"Will…will I return to the room each time I sleep?" she murmured, a strain in her voice that betrayed her fear of it.

"I cannot say," he squeezed her hand, "It may fade with time or…"

"Or it may get worse," she realized, "Because my mind would try to close off the magic and trap the room in my head."

That was the worst case scenario, she knew. Her magic might try to react to the mind magic, but since it was already in her head, it couldn't force the room out of her. It had to be that case though, each night the dreams got progressively worse and she couldn't help but feel like, if they were to fade, they would have gotten less powerful since the curse was broken. No, they were always going to be there, weren't they? They were always going to be the place that she went to when she slept.

"Whether it remains a place in your mind or not, you have no need to fear, Pip," Rumpelstiltskin stated.

She looked up at him, the barest hint of tears in her eyes, "How?"

He tugged her by the hand she was holding till she was lying beside him, cuddled (though he refused to ever use that word) up to his side, her head resting on his shoulder, her face in the crook of his neck as he wound his free arm around her, not letting go of her other hand. She bent the elbow of her free arm and gently curled her hand around the fabric of his shirt.

"Because I will protect you Piper," he murmured to her, his voice only slightly louder than the rain falling outside the windows, "I will never let anything harm you."

Piper was silent a moment, "You have not broken your deal Rummy," she remarked, "The Queen was not the one who sent me into the curse."

"Yes, about that," he glanced at her, "Who was it?"

She shrugged lightly, shaking her head, "I know not," she sighed, knowing he would want more than that, "It was a woman. Brown hair, blue eyes, she was…regal, in a way. Perhaps a noblewoman of some sort."

Rumpelstiltskin was silent a moment, thinking about women that fit that description. He had a few ideas of who that could be, the list narrowed down by the fact that they knew of Maleficent, however he would have to speak to the sorceress herself and confirm who the woman was but now he had a description to offer her.

"But that wasn't what I meant Pip," he continued, picking up their former topic, "I didn't mean I'd protect you because of the deal, dearie."

"But the deal was to protect me from the Queen, not from others," she reminded him.

"Well then we shall have to amend that then," he reasoned.

She blinked and pushed herself up slightly to look at him, "Amend it how?"

He just looked at her, "I will protect you Pip, from every danger I can," he promised her, "I do it not because of our deal either but…" he let out a breath, "You are…important to me. I do not wish to see you harmed, by any means, not if I can help it. I will protect you, because I love you Piper."

She smiled at him, "I have…never had someone wish to protect me before," she murmured, besides Snow but that was a more familial protection, a sort of requirement for those who shared the same blood. Most men she'd encountered after that had wanted to use her either for her power or something else. None had ever just…wanted her to be safe because they truly cared for her.

"And I have never had someone love me before," he countered. He knew Milah had come to resent him, he doubted now that he thought of her that she had ever really truly loved him if she was able to abandon not only him but their son the way she had. He knew that Cora had only wanted him for power, had 'loved' what he could provide her, the power to make others kneel. And he was quite certain that Belle had only loved the idea of saving him, of being his redeemer. He was sure his own son had ceased to love him near the end, had become afraid of him, had wanted to change him. He'd never, before Piper, had someone love him for exactly who he was.

And he was not about to lose that.

"I will protect you Piper, from the Queen, from the men who harmed you, from the burning room," he swore, lifting her hand in his to kiss the back of it, "Trust in me."

"I do," she whispered, leaning in to kiss him once more before she settled back to where she'd been lying before, her head on his shoulder, in the crook of his neck.

He held her, awake himself, his arm lightly running up hers to sooth her back into sleep, his head turned to watch her slumber, waiting for the first signs of any distress. He knew now why she had been distant, why she had wished to not be with him in their room any longer. She had feared him seeing her in such a state as the burning room would render her. She didn't want to wake him with her screams. But he swore to himself he wouldn't be woken to that, not ever, because she would never scream out in a nightmare while he was there. HE would protect her in this world and the next, in this realm and any other, in her sleep and in her waking hours. He would protect her no matter the cost, no matter what.

He could feel his magic reacting to his desire to sooth her, not quite expanding into her, not casting any sort of magic on her, but just…the raw power of it wanting to help her. He looked down as a small bit of it trickled out and saw that she had a burn on her arm that was fading with the magic healing it.

He watched as she slept, remained awake the rest of the night, a wide smile on his face for her to see when she woke hours later and realized…

Not a single nightmare of the burning room had plagued her while she slept in his arms.

A/N: Sorry this was a bit late :( Bit of a tense situation at home that resulted in me spending most of the day outside it with my mother. Because this chapter was so late, the next one might be just a few hours late as well to try and space out the chapters and give people time to read this one first :)

I hope you liked a bit of Dark Rose here :) At first this started off as just them having a dance in the rain and it sort of morphed into this lol :)

Some notes on reviews...

The theory could be a little mean, I agree :) I do think it brings up a good point though, how many superheroes, if their stories were in the feminine, would people think are a Mary Sue just for being women when the male version is a superhero? Like...Batman. If there was a female OC like this (a really bad summary though, sorry!): A young, wealthy girl with a dark past, who saw her parents murdered before her eyes and invested all her money into fighting crime as a vigilante, creating all sorts of cars and gadgets to stop the criminals of her town, becoming an epic superhero that could go toe to toe with those that have superpowers and a complex of not letting others close to her...people would probably say she's a Mary Sue for having a 'dark past.' The same could be said for Villains too though, like...Two Face. A young woman whose true love was killed because of her, who ended up badly scarred and with a thirst for revenge, people might say she's a Mary Sue for having half her face scarred :/ Mary Sues are tricky, the point of my friend's theory was that there's a little Mary Sue in every character out there, even widely accepted superheroes ;) Hermione could be a Mary Sue for being too smart and better than the wizards that grew up with magic around her, Harry could be one for having his abusive past and hero-complex, the Doctor from Doctor Who due to being the last of his kind. All are small components of what can build up to a Mary Sue in some ways so there are little bits and pieces of a Mary Sue in quite a few well known characters ;)


	19. The Cricket Game

The Cricket Game

Piper and Gold sat in a booth at Granny's Diner, speaking quietly to each other as the town seemed to celebrate within, though they left the two well enough alone. Piper had nearly laughed when they'd walked in and all the chatter had stopped, some people tried to glare at them, but it lasted mere moments till Gold turned his sights on them. Apparently though, Ruby had told everyone about how Gold had been trying to HELP them get back to Storybrooke and, even if they all knew it was because he'd wanted Piper back, the result was their princess and her daughter being returned as well. So no one said a word against them being there.

Piper, however, was a little uncomfortable with how some people were staring at her questioningly, as though they were trying to work something out or see something in her that they clearly weren't seeing. She could guess what it was though. Mary Margaret had called her 'Rose' as she was leaving, and Ruby was right there. She had heard them, as they were leaving, heard Ruby ask her why she'd called 'Piper' that and knew Mary Margaret would start to explain it to her, how they were cousins and all of that. It seemed like THAT had spread around town as well. Clearly it was something new to them which meant Henry, David, and Regina had kept quiet about it while she'd been in the Enchanted Forest. It figured, the wolf couldn't help but go howling to the moon about what she'd learned. Still she was both relieved that people knew that she could be trusted (or that they'd assume such a thing due to her relationship with their Snow White) and anxious because she could just tell that so many complications would be coming as well. Now that they knew she was both Snow White's cousin and someone clearly important to Rumpelstiltskin, she could guess that she'd be used in the future to manipulate him. Now that they knew she was the Pied Piper and that she'd allowed Snow to think her dead and that she'd sided with the Dark One, she knew some of them would try to turn her cousin against her. There were so many things that could go wrong now that they knew who she was to Mary Margaret…it could even start to affect the woman in question as well. If the people thought she was allowing her cousin too much power or that she was allowing the Piper to influence her, it might make the people less likely to trust even the pure Snow White.

It would be very careful treading from here on out she knew.

"Don't let them get under your skin Pip," Gold murmured to her as they sat side beside.

"I doubt they could," she whispered back, "I fear for Snow," she admitted, "She always had thinner skin than I did. She always let what others said about me get to her more so than it got to me. I…do not want her to seem less than what she is to her people because of me."

"Then _I_ will take care of them," he offered, "If anyone has a qualm with you, they'll have to take it up with ME."

She smiled at him for that, "No one would dare oppose you Rummy."

"Ah," he smiled, "So you see the genius in that plan."

She laughed and shook her head before looking over when she heard the door open and Mary Margaret enter with David, Emma, and Henry, her eyes falling on Piper even as the crowd surging forward to greet them and hug them all.

"I just wanted to, uh, thank you all for joining us tonight," David spoke above the noise, "Mary Margaret and I, we have a saying…that we will always find each other," Gold did his best not to laugh at Piper's nearly disgusted noise beside him at how sweet that was, "And, while I believe that with all my heart, I'd like you all to raise your glasses and join me when I say…here's to not having to look for a while. To Mary Margaret, Emma, and Rose!"

"It's PIPER," Gold cut in before anyone could start clinking their glasses.

"It is," Piper nodded, "I have not been Rose Red in more than three decades," she looked at Mary Margaret sadly, "And I do not think I ever will be."

Mary Margaret nodded sadly at that, but with an acceptance as well, she knew very well that the Rose Red she'd known as a young woman was gone, but…she was still her cousin, there were still parts of her that were there, she'd just…grown up, circumstances had just forced them to both do so in different ways and without each other, "To the three of us!" Mary Margaret lifted her glass, earning clinking from everyone.

But just as the clinking stopped a bell jingle was heard as Regina entered the room with a casserole dish in hand, "Sorry I'm late."

"What is she doing here?!" Leroy demanded as he grabbed a knife.

"Well it is a public establishment," Piper remarked dryly. Even though she was not at all happy to see Regina there, she wasn't about to grab a knife on the woman. Not only did Regina have magic but…she…didn't want to kill the woman, not even after what she'd done to her parents. No…there was something far worse she had planned for Regina, she just…had to wait for the opportune time.

"I invited her," Emma defended, which just earned Mary Margaret pulling her off to the side with David to speak to her quietly.

"Care to take a bet?" Gold murmured to her as they watched the small family speak in hushed tones.

"I have no need," she shook her head, "I may have changed but Snow has not. She shall be concerned that Regina is here despite trying to kill us yesterday. And Emma will be thinking only of Henry and how she eventually did allow us passage for him," she sighed sadly, "Children change our perception of others."

He reached out and took her hand, "We WILL find your boy Pip."

She nodded slowly at that. She and Gold had gone to August's room, but he wasn't there. They'd gone to Marco/Gepetto and not even his own father had seen him. They'd gotten detained from continuing their search when Gepetto had realized who she was, the woman Henry had told him had found his boy in this world and raised him as her own. He'd wanted to know everything and she hadn't had the heart to say no, so they'd stayed the entire night and well into the morning telling him stories of August.

She could understand Emma's attempts at reconciliation with Regina as the woman meant something to her son. She had allowed herself to be detained because Gepetto meant something to her son. Children…really did change what you did and why. She'd tried to find him, but it seemed that he had turned fully into wood and because wood wasn't technically alive, not in the sense that a human being was, she couldn't hear the song anymore. She knew he was alive, she just…couldn't find him and there was nothing of his belongings left in his room for Gold to use to try a locator spell with.

She just hoped August would be ok.

~8~

Piper was leaning on the door of the interrogation room of the town's station, her arms crossed, a small frown of concentration on her face as she observed the scene before her. Regina was sitting in a chair across from Emma and David, Mary Margaret standing beside her as the proceedings began. She'd gotten a call from Mary Margaret asking her to come to the station, because they needed help. It wasn't till she'd arrived and the woman had explained exactly what sort of help it was that things got interesting.

Apparently Emma had been taking Henry to school when they ran into a distressed Pongo, Archie's dog. The dog was SO distressed that his whines had caused Ruby to come running over with claims that something was wrong. Emma sent Henry off as she and Ruby went to follow Pongo as he ran off, only to find Archie, dead, in his office. According to Ruby, she saw Regina enter Archie's office that night after having an argument with the man of some kind. She claimed it had to be Regina and since she was a potential semi-witness, Emma had called Regina in for questioning. Mary Margaret had asked HER to come to help Emma in reading Regina. Sirens were adept at reading the people around them, to learn what it was they truly desired and while she was only half-Siren, she was very skilled at seeing what people were feeling at any given time if she concentrated on it. It had made Mary Margaret suspicious for a moment that THAT was where Emma had gotten her 'superpower' of being able to tell when someone was lying, but it wasn't the most important thing they had to deal with at the moment.

And there they were, about to interrogate Regina and see what she might know about all of this.

"Glad to see the Sheriff's station's now a family business," Regina remarked dryly, crossing her arms, "Why am I here?"

Piper eyed her for that, there was a genuine curiosity about it, she really didn't know why she was being called in.

"You know why you're here," Emma began, a hint of accusation in her tone, "Because of Archie."

Regina rolled her eyes at that, "Oh, it's now against the law to get into an argument with someone?"

"It is if you go to their office later that night and kill them," David glared.

Regina blinked at that, "Archie's dead?"

Piper glanced at Mary Margaret and shook her head slightly, Regina had NO idea about that.

"Stop it, Regina," David continued, "Ruby _saw_ you going into his office last night."

"Then she's lying," Regina leaned forward, her own eyes narrowing, "I was home all evening. After everything I've done to change, to win Henry back, why would I toss it all away now? And, _if_ I did and I was going to kill Archie, you would never know it. The fact that he's dead and you caught me shows sloppiness."

"You've been caught before."

"Because you had help," Piper cut in.

David cast a look at her and she could see it written all over his face. David had no idea she was his beloved Snow White's cousin till that moment in the shop when Mary Margaret saw her. He had not spent any time with her between then and now save for her being there with the wraith and then at the well and diner. He hadn't had any sort of relationship with her in this world as the real David. The only encounters he'd had with her were in the Enchanted Forest and, she could admit, they were quite the impression she'd made on him and not at all in a positive light. She'd essentially tortured him twice and was in defense of Rumpelstiltskin, not to mention the fact that he knew her only as the Piper was another detriment against her name to him.

He didn't trust her.

He shouldn't either, she knew. But there was one thing he was overlooking as he seemed to treat her only as the Piper and only as the Dark One's True Love…she WAS Snow White's cousin. She did love her cousin very much and she had always been a hand behind him being able to be with her. SHE had been the one that had orchestrated for them to meet. SHE had been the one that had gotten the Dark One to help him return to her. And SHE was the one who had helped keep her safe in the Enchanted Forest. She would not ever do a single thing to harm Mary Margaret.

Yet he looked at her as though he was just waiting for her to stab them in the back and help evil win.

Well she wasn't going to be bothered by that. If he was willing to think that and not give a 'second chance' as his entire family seemed keen to believe in, then he was just as arrogant and narrow minded as his brother had been and she had seen to it that his brother fell. She was not a force to be ignored but she truly didn't care what he thought of her. So long as her cousin was still her cousin and still cared, she wouldn't be bothered one way or the other what David thought of her. IF he started to influence Mary Margaret against her…well, then there would be hell to pay for him, but till then, they were at an unease stalemate, to attack either of them would hurt Mary Margaret and they wouldn't do that.

"Come on, Emma," David turned to his daughter, "Who do you think's lying, Ruby or _her_?"

"Come on, Snow," Piper mimicked, turning to Mary Margaret, "Who do you think is biased, David or _HIM_?" she replicated the tone he'd finished on, "Do not try to influence your daughter Charming," she threatened, "An investigation must be unbiased."

As much as she HATED that and would have loved for Regina to get what was coming to her, there were two very big factors in play that prevented that. Regina was genuinely lost about all of this, she didn't have a clue what was going on, and…if anyone was going to get revenge against Regina it would be HER. Mary Margaret had already seen to her revenge, she'd banished Regina, nearly executed her, gotten the curse to break…but SHE still had something against the woman.

"She's incapable of change," David argued, "No matter how many times we've given her the chance. Why should this time be any different?"

"Ok, out," Emma ushered them all out of the room, not wanting them to start arguing in front of Regina and show weakness.

"So what do we do with her now?" Mary Margaret asked as they gathered outside the interrogation room.

"Lock her up," David stated.

"And then YOU would be committing a crime of detaining an innocent woman," Piper rolled her eyes, "Or innocent of THIS crime at least."

"She didn't do it," Emma agreed.

"You really believe her?" David scoffed, "HER I can believe that from," he nodded at Piper, making her raise her eyebrow that.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mary Margaret moved to Piper's side, frowning at her husband.

"I would not bother Snow," Piper shook her head, not seeming perturbed at all that David was expressing his distrust for her, "Your Charming Prince does not trust me. But you CAN trust this Shepherd," she turned to him, "Sirens are very good at judging the emotions of another. And Regina was shocked and confused."

"I watched her when we told her Archie was dead," Emma nodded, "She didn't know. Look at her in there," she nodded at the room, at Regina still sitting calmly within, "The old Regina would've reduced this building to ashes. That's a woman who wants to change. She just wants everyone else to see it. I know that look. I know her. I believe her."

"With all due respect, you don't know her like we do," David shook her head.

"You do not even know her like you do," Piper scoffed, "The ONLY person who knows her truly is Rummy."

"And you?" David shot her a glare.

"Yes," Piper narrowed her eyes, "If you fail to recall, I AM Snow White's cousin, I was there when her mother died, when her father remarried, when her father died, and when Regina took over. I learned EVERYTHING that Rummy did to her to make her who she is now," she added, before smirking, "Oh, is that shock?" she tilted her head at the surprised look on David's face, on Mary Margaret's face as well, "You had no idea that Rummy had a hand in shaping Regina into who she is, did you?" she shook her head, "How can you claim to know her when you do not even know what happened in her life to make her this?"

"And that's the problem," Emma cut in, "I know in your kingdom, she was the Evil Queen. But _here_, she's Regina. And _I'm _still the Sheriff, and I say she's innocent until proven guilty."

"So…" Mary Margaret took a breath, "Uh, what do you suggest we do?"

"Let her go."

"Emma, sh…" David tried to argue.

"We let her go, and then we find the truth."

"You know," Piper remarked as David turned to go release her, "For someone who claims to be the True Love of the purest heart…you seem rather eager to kill someone," she smirked as David paused, "Perhaps you ought to step back and consider what Regina has done to YOU, personally, that makes you feel so entitled to be the one to end her."

David shot her a glare over his shoulder, "She hunted my wife."

"She did not hunt YOU though," Piper shook her head, "She held you captive, she hunted your wife, she attacked your kingdom, but what did she do to YOU that gives you the right to seek this vengeance against her?"

He was silent.

"You should watch your prince Snow," Piper turned to her cousin, about to leave as she'd done her part, "There is a darkness in his heart that he seems intent to feed. I would warn against letting him, else he turn out like Regina."

She didn't bother to stay and see his reaction to her words as she left. She knew there wasn't a true darkness, he did have a good heart. But Mary Margaret was her cousin and she would do what she could to try and keep her happy, even if it meant frightening her husband a bit. He had a good heart, but if he kept on this quest for vengeance against a woman who never physically went after HIM, then a darkness would start to take root and he would fall as Regina had. Let her words sink in and drive him from that path, prevent that darkness and she would be content.

SHE, on the other hand, she knew her heart was already darkened by her past, if SHE sought vengeance…well, it wouldn't really affect her heart one way or the other.

~8~

Piper stood behind the counter of Gold's shop, looking at David, Emma, and Mary Margaret as they stood before her with Pongo, having just explained what they'd found. They'd gone to Archie's office and discovered that Regina's file was missing. She wasn't quite sure how that meant murder, but David seemed very firm that it was evidence. Emma, however, disagreed and felt that it was too easy, that all the evidence was just piling up too quickly.

"Like when Regina framed Snow," Piper murmured.

"Yeah," Emma nodded.

"And you have come here why?" she shook her head, "To ask me to get Rummy to help?"

"No!" Mary Margaret said quickly, before David could open his mouth, hearing a tense note in her cousin's voice, "No Rose, we just wanted to ask him to help, ourselves."

She knew that this was exactly what Piper had been speaking of in the Enchanted Forest, that people would start to use her to get to Gold, that they'd use her to get him to agree to things or to do things for them just because of her connection to both her and Gold. She didn't want her cousin to think they'd come to her solely to try and get Gold to do anything for them, she was NOT going to use her cousin like that, ever, she swore it to herself. Because if she'd learned one thing from the Enchanted Forest it was that, while she had to build up her relationship with her cousin again, Piper had to build up her trust in HER as well. It was a two way street and they both had done things in the past that had strained their relationship. She liked to think they'd dealt with a pretty big chunk of their issues in the Forest, and she was not going to let that be for nothing.

"We just wanted to keep you in the loop too," she finished.

"And yet we all know you really DID come here to ask my help first," Gold's voice spoke as he entered the room from the back, two cups of hot beverage in his hands, a coffee for himself and a hot chocolate for Piper with cinnamon on it that he handed her, "So…ask away."

"Did you kill Archie?" Emma glared at him.

"Why on earth would you think I had anything to do with that?" Gold asked dryly.

"Because all the evidence points to Regina. Too much too quickly, it's a frame job."

"It wouldn't be the first time you used someone to try to hurt her…" Mary Margaret began.

"But unlike the last time," Piper sipped her hot chocolate, "There is no cause for him to attempt to harm her this time."

"What was the last time for then?" Emma frowned.

"She separated me from Pip for 28 years," Gold's eyes narrowed, "I think that should be sufficient reason to wish to see her life crumble around her as well."

Mary Margaret blinked at that, "Rose…you were in on it?"

"Of course," Piper nodded, "I was not your strongest supporter just because you were my cousin Snow. I knew you were being framed, as I do believe I mentioned to Emma within the first moments of your arrest," she took a sip of her drink, "You were never in any true danger of trial," she reassured her, "I knew how you an Emma would act, August helped me, and Rummy knew how Regina would act."

"It was all planned out," Emma realized.

"To the last detail," Piper agreed, "As for this instance, I am afraid Rummy had no hand in it and I can vouch for him firmly."

"Yeah, how?" Emma scoffed.

"Well if you would like full details of what happens behind closed bedroom doors I shall indulge you…"

"No," Emma grimaced, disgusted, "No, no…just…he has an alibi, I get it."

"What I fail to understand is why you didn't ask the witness," Gold nodded at the dog.

"Right," Emma muttered, "And how is Pongo going to tell us anything?"

"Through magic, of course. It won't allow us to communicate, but it will allow us to…extract his memories."

"Extract?" David frowned.

"You don't have to worry. He won't feel a thing."

"Why should we trust you?" Emma asked, "Couldn't you just as easily use magic to fool us?"

"Such is the curse of being the villain," Piper sighed, "One never trusts them," she shot David a pointed look.

"You're not a villain Rose," Mary Margaret repeated earlier sentiments.

"Tell that to the people of Hamelin," Piper gave her a sad smile, "If you shall not believe Rummy's magic, then believe Emma's."

"What?" Emma blinked, "Me? How?"

"You have it within you," Gold shrugged, "Told me so yourself. You witnessed it, didn't you?" he glanced at Mary Margaret.

"Emma, you don't have to do this," Mary Margaret put a hand on her arm.

"If it tells us something about Archie's death, then so be it," Emma nodded.

Gold turned and picked up a dream catcher from one of the cupboards behind him and held it up to Emma, "Do you know what this is?"

"A dream catcher."

"Well…it's capable of catching so much more," he stepped over to Pongo and ran the dream catcher along the dog's back, making it glow gold for a moment.

"What is that?" David frowned.

"Memories," he grinned, holding it up to show a jumble of faint images and scenes playing out inside the webbing, "Now, Miss Swan. You show us how," he handed it to her.

"How?" Emma shook her head, "It's just a jumble…"

"Magic is about intent Emma," Piper told her, "You need to will it to happen."

Gold held it up to her more and Emma slowly took it. She held it in front of her and closed her eyes, concentrating, and soon the jump began to swirl…but did little else.

"I can't," Emma shook her head.

"Yes, you can," Gold encouraged.

Emma took another breath and closed her eyes once more, focusing, willing the magic to find the memory they needed…and one began to form.

"Emma…" David breathed, "You're doing it."

Emma opened her eyes to see Archie open the door to his office and reveal Regina standing there, "Regina," she frowned, watching as the woman entered and spoke to the man a moment or two…before she reached out and grabbed Archie's neck, strangling him with magic till he fell to the floor, the dream catcher falling with it as Emma dropped it, "You were right all along."

"I'm sorry, Emma," David put a hand on her shoulder, but Emma turned to storm out of the building, David and Mary Margaret rushing after her.

Piper sighed, "I am wondering if it is something that skipped a generation or perhaps my mother's genes."

"What's that?" Gold turned to her.

"The ability to NOT go running into a situation with no thought put to it," she remarked, before turning to him again, "I shall be back."

He nodded and kissed her hand as she left the shop, knowing she was going to either try to stop Emma or be there to protect her if she confronted Regina. He knew she hadn't asked him along for a reason. Just before they'd been interrupted, he'd been showing her one of his hopeful solutions to try and cross the town line and find his son and it was currently brewing in the back, he couldn't risk being away from it for too long as it was a delicate potion. He wasn't worried about her though, Piper was a strong woman and, if what she'd told him of her time in the Enchanted Forest was like…now that magic was back, her magic was stronger than ever.

~8~

Piper stood to the side as she watched Emma approach Henry after he got out of school, about to tell the boy what had happened to Archie and who was responsible…or who she thought was responsible. Everything had just gone to help in a matter of minutes. She had lost track of the Charmings when she'd left Gold's shop and, instead of chasing them all over Storybrooke, she'd gone to Regina's home, knowing they'd head there eventually. She'd been right as Emma had confronted the woman with her parents. She herself had stayed back, hiding around the bushes as she watched. She was all for confronting Regina and having her answer for her crimes…but there was something about this entire mess that was bothering her and made her truly feel like Regina hadn't committed this crime. The fact that Regina's first words to Emma were a demand for an apology for falsely accusing her of murder was a bit hint, her continued confusion as Emma stated the events that she'd seen transpire was another.

She had been slightly surprised when the Blue fairy had appeared and used magic against Regina, it appeared that they were trying to trap her like the last time they'd caught her, that they were going to turn this into a magical thing instead of a murder. But even that thought, murder, it didn't sit right with her. And the fact that Regina fled instead of fought in the end, it was a sign that she was still trying to change. Someone who reverted or relapsed wouldn't just flee, they'd just keep in the pit they'd fallen into. Regina had been telling the truth, if she wanted the murder covered up, no one would know it was her…much like she'd come to realize Regina had killed Leopold and pinned it on the Genie. Regina was clever, she wouldn't be caught, it really did seem like a frame job to her.

But beyond that, there was one very important thing that she had to tell Mary Margaret because she just…everyone was gunning for Regina and she would be happy to join the bandwagon if it were crimes she actually did and this was allowing someone else to get away with murder…IF it was murder.

"Snow," she began, watching as Emma led Henry off to the side and sat him down to talk to him, "I…cannot shake the feeling that Archie was not killed."

Mary Margaret looked at her, "There's a BODY Rose…"

"You remember when your father died, how I knew instantly," she glanced at her cousin, "How I heard his song just…stop?"

"Yes," Mary Margaret frowned.

"That did not happen."

"Storybrooke's a big town though," Mary Margaret shook her head, "You can't hear the song of everyone here…"

"Perhaps," she agreed, "But since magic has returned my magic has been stronger," she murmured, "I feel as though I can hear it all in the back of my head and…Archie's song did not suddenly stop. I…cannot hear it now, but it does not FEEL like when Uncle Leopold died."

"You're saying you think he's still alive?" Mary Margaret asked, "That he's just…hidden from us somewhere?"

"I cannot say," Piper sighed, "I just believe…there is more going on here than we can see."

She glanced to the side, feeling her gaze pulled towards the docks, towards the sea, she kept feeling like there was something there, like she was hearing something from that direction but when she looked or strained to listen, there was nothing. She shook her head at that, perhaps she should tell Gold about her suspicions, if others would not believe her…HE would.

They would get to the bottom of this because anything that could trick her magic…was something dangerous indeed.

A/N: One thing I didn't like about this episode was how dead set David was in how it had to be Regina and that Regina was guilty and that they should sort of 'end her' and all :( Like, it's hard to imagine Snow White married to a man who's as dead set on revenge as Regina was (kind of). I really wanted Piper to comment on that in both a 'meant to be mean' but also a 'actually a little concerned' sort of way :)

No real notes on reviews for the last chapter :)


	20. A Stay of Execution

A Stay of Execution

Piper was absently tending to the sconces of the Dark Castle, standing on a small stool to reach them, just cleaning and scrubbing them clean when she heard a voice behind her.

"Wonderful news dearie," Rumpelstiltskin spoke, startling her with his sudden presence in a cloud of smoke so much so that she nearly toppled off the stool and, had it not been for him being right behind her, would have fallen to the ground.

"My hero," she joked as she wound her arms around his neck lightly, the man showing no signs of being about to let her down and she was not about to complain about that.

"That I am," he giggled, grinning smugly at that as well, before hopping and spinning her around, making her laugh, "But I do have news to share."

"Of what?" she asked.

"Your cousin and her prince have toppled King George."

"My apologies," she reached up to touch his face lightly, "I know you wished to be his ruin."

"Oh I didn't say they ruined him," he grinned even wider, "Merely usurped him. I shall have my revenge yet."

She nodded, "That is good news then," she smiled, "One half of the threat against Snow has been dealt with. King George will no longer target the Shepherd."

"Yes," he agreed, "But that does leave the little matter of the Queen though."

"She will be more dangerous," she mused, "With her magic she will be a harder threat for them to face. All they have on their side are fairies."

He giggled at that, at how she had come to rather dislike the fairies as well. He had told her, about his son, about how he lost him to the Blue Fairy's interference. He knew there was more to it than that, her dislike for the small winged nuisances, he'd asked her once why she didn't seem to regard the fairies as others did. She'd merely replied that she felt they were two faced. They tried to give off such airs as being good and pure but they had secret agendas of their own, they liked if it benefitted them, and there was just something so off about the Blue Fairy that she couldn't help but not trust her at all. In her wildest theories she felt like the Blue Fairy was really the Black Fairy in disguise, but he wasn't quite sure he'd go that far about Blue. She had brought up what he had told her of Regina, of the Queen before she became evil.

There had been a fairy, Tinkerbelle, that had tried to help Regina before she became Evil, tried to help her find happiness and lost her wings for it. The Blue Fairy had taken away Tinkerbelle's wings, the Blue Fairy had forbidden Tinkerbelle to help her, the Blue Fairy had REFUSED to even try to help Regina. That didn't sound like the 'good' side, the 'heroes' to her and he knew Regina was a touchy subject for Piper. He knew she could relate to the woman, that she had once sympathized for her but events had happened that had hardened her heart against the Evil Queen.

Her never ending quest to see Snow White's head on a platter was but another event in a long line that had made Piper dislike her more and more.

"Which is why," he began, "I think it's about time we lent your cousin a helping hand, dearie," he looked at her, "Another one."

Piper tilted her head as she eyed him a moment, "Truly?"

"Anything for you Pip," he winked at her, "The Queen has put off casting the Curse long enough with her obsession with your cousin and I grow weary of waiting to see how long it will be before the 'heroes' work out a way to stop her."

Piper just smiled and leaned in to kiss him, she just wanted her family safe and he had promised, Curse or no, in the end her family would be happy and together and protected. But now…now it was time to protect them from Regina.

~8~

Piper stood in the middle of the woods at sunset, her black cloak around her, in a small clearing. She took a breath and pulled out her pipe, lifting it to her mouth to play a faint melody. She wasn't sure if this would work, but it was something Rumpelstiltskin had told her to try to summon the Blue Fairy. They had an idea of how to take the Evil Queen out and stop her from harming Snow White, but in order to do that…they had to relay the message to Snow somehow. With the fairies being Snow's comrades, there was a chance magical protections would be put in place in King George's castle, where they were residing. And they both doubted that any of them would trust a suggestion given by the Dark One or the Pied Piper, no…it had to come from someone that they trusted. It had to come from a fairy and Blue was the leader of them, she would likely be the only one that they'd trust. Rumpelstiltskin also knew what the Blue Fairy was like, if it was a plan she didn't agree with she would refuse to allow it to happen. It had to be one that the Blue Fairy suggested herself for it to happen.

And that was why SHE was there, alone, without Rumpelstiltskin beside her. If the Blue Fairy saw him there, she would either attack or not listen to a word that was said. Though he was nearby, he was watching from an enchanted mirror so if she needed any help at all, he would be there in an instant.

She slowed her playing as she saw what looked like a blue star drifting down from the stars that were just vaguely beginning to shin in the highest points of the sky and lowered her pipe to watch as it formed into a small person with brown hair and a blue gown.

She frowned at that, hearing a melody…it was a different melody. Oh she had met the Blue Fairy once before, but it appeared now that she hadn't quite met the REAL fairy if the song was different. But she had little time to think or worry about that when the Blue Fairy caught sight of her and frowned, nearly seeming to sneer at her.

"Who are you?" the fairy demanded, "You reek of the Dark One's magic."

"And you reek of stale fairy dust," Piper countered, "Shall we continue to state the obvious or would you like to know why I summoned you."

"You didn't summon me," Blue lifted her chin.

"I played," she gestured at her pipe, "You came. That is a summoning."

Blue started to frown at that, eyeing the pipe in her hand as realization hit, "The Pied Piper…" she breathed, slowly fluttering back.

"At your service," Piper smirked as she gave a mocking bow and straightened.

"What do you want?" Blue demanded once more.

"Snow White seeks to stop the Evil Queen, does she not?"

"That is common knowledge."

"Well then I shall offer you a means to do so."

Blue narrowed her eyes at Piper, "And why would YOU wish to help us? You are in league with the Dark One! HE was the one who taught her everything about being evil!"

"Oh I believe some credit for that is due to YOU," Piper shot right back, startling the fairy with the accusation, "You were the one who refused to help her find happiness before the evil could fully take her over, were you not?"

"…how do you know about that?" Blue breathed.

"As you said, I reek of the Dark One," she said simply, "And if you know who I am, you know the partnership I share with him. He tells me many things that help in my deals while I assist him in swaying his own clients. Now, would you deny the hand you had in Regina's life, or would you like Snow White to find out how you turned your back on her stepmother when there was still a hope for her to not become what she is?"

The Blue Fairy swallowed hard, "What method have you to stop the Queen?"

Piper pursed her lips at that, at what she was about to say. She didn't want to bring it up, she rather was against this plan of Rumpelstiltskin's solely for the fact that it would put Snow White in harm's way if it went wrong, but…he was right, the Queen was so blinded by her revenge against Snow she wouldn't see this coming if the opportunity provided itself for her to think she was going to get the girl finally.

"Fairy Dust has the ability to render some magic users powerless for a short while, does it not?"

"Yes…" Blue said slowly, "It could."

"I have the word of the Dark One that it shall be effective against the Queen, but only for a short while," Piper stated, "Long enough for her to be captured."

"Why should I trust the word of Rumpelstiltskin?" Blue glared.

"Shall I also bring up how you caused for his son to be lost to him?" Piper tilted her head with a smirk, "For the leader of the fairies and the practicer of 'good' magic, you seem to have a penchant for ruining lives."

"You seem to forget the lives he and the Queen have ruined," Blue stated.

"They would never have ruined those lives if someone had been forthcoming in detailing what a magic bean would do and offered to help an unhappy young queen to find love again," Piper fired right back, "Would that not also mean that the blood of all they have harmed is on YOUR hands as well. After all, you created them in a way."

Blue clenched her hands into fists as she seemed to shake with rage, "Why should I trust the word of the Dark One?" she repeated.

"Because he gave ME his word," Piper remarked, "And he would not ever lie to me. Not about this."

Blue gave a stiff nod, seeming to believe that enough, "But how would we be able to use the dust?"

"Use Snow White," Piper offered, though her voice sounded only slightly weaker at that suggestion, "The Queen will be so blinded by the victory she thinks is in her grasp she would not be able to see the trap she was lured to."

Blue seemed to consider that a moment, "And what do you wish for in return for your help?" she nearly bit that out, "You and Rumpelstiltskin, your help always comes with a price."

"I seek nothing but the Queen off her throne and Snow restored to it," Piper shrugged.

"Why?" Blue frowned, suspicious.

But Piper just smirked and gave another mocking bow before she turned and lifted her pipe to her mouth, heading off into the darkness with a gentle melody playing through the trees, already knowing that Blue would go through with the plan she had fed her.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin stood in the crowded courtyard of Snow White's castle, having been reclaimed from the Evil Queen, Piper beside him, the black cloak firmly around her, making her unnoticeable in the crowd. They were waiting for the execution to take place, knowing that Regina would be led out any moment and sentenced to death as per royal decree.

He glanced at her, feeling her standing rigidly beside him, "You think this shall darken her heart, dearie?" he asked her quietly, though he'd already put up small wards around them so their conversations would be private. He had promised to protect her from the Queen and the woman, even now, was still a danger to her. She would forever be a danger till she was put to death and even THEN there were still ways for powerful magic users to cause chaos afterwards.

"No," she shook her head, her gaze on her cousin, "In the end, she shall not go through with this."

"You think so?" she tilted his head, amused.

"Snow's heart is too pure," Piper sighed, "She never could stomach the thought of executions, she shall not be able to bear the sight of her second mother about to endure one."

"She still sees good in her," he realized.

Piper gave an absent nod, still looking at Snow White. It had been…years since her cousin had been in this castle, in her home, she was both happy to see her on her throne where she belonged but also saddened by the sight as well. She glanced at the man sitting beside Snow, her Charming Prince, and knew that he had likely had a hand in leading to this execution. Snow and Leopold were very much the same, they wanted everyone to be happy, they believed everyone was good and deserved chance after chance after chance. Leopold never had executions, ever, his brother, her father, had nearly been the same.

Had it not been for her mother.

Sirens were…firmer in stomach than humans were, they could endure seeing suffering and death more so than a mortal could. While her father hadn't been thrilled with it, and his brother furious, there WERE executions in her kingdom. Her mother had been given leave to preside over them though, her father signing off on them. That was probably one reason why her mother hadn't been as well received as other queens were, she was seen as a sort of angel of death, the executioner in the darkest terms. But crime was less in her kingdom than it was in Snow's because the people knew, if they were caught, there WOULD be a punishment. Often times, people saw the queens as soft hearted and gentle, the ones who were sympathetic and tried to calm their kings and save lives. Her mother had been the opposite, and she had been firm, not even her father could sway her if a just ruling had been made at trial that an execution was necessary.

Sometimes she felt like her uncle Leopold tried to be a father to his people instead of a ruler.

"What is it Pip?" Rumpelstiltskin asked her softly, reaching out to take her hand, kissing the knuckles of it, sensing it was a difficult subject, whatever was holding her thoughts besides the execution.

Piper sighed, "I am…happy to see my cousin on her throne," she began, "It is a place we were both taught and raised to accept and fill when we were old enough," she tilted her head as she watched Snow and her Prince talking quietly, "I suppose it just is upsetting to me that the Queen assumed possession of Snow's kingdom…and burned mine."

He nodded slowly at that, understanding. Snow White's kingdom still stood, because Regina had taken over as Queen whereas Piper's kingdom had been burned to the ground and destroyed. Even if the Queen were to be executed, Piper would never be the ruler of her kingdom, she would never be the Queen she had been born to be. Her people were dead, her parents murdered, her lands nothing but ruins and charred remains. Anyone who survived the massacre that the Queen had led upon it had become a refugee in other kingdoms, they wouldn't soon return to her kingdom. And even now, he could hear the hidden concerns in her words, she knew that her people, if they knew she was the Piper, would likely refuse to return even if they could. The Pied Piper was a fearsome legend, and he doubted many would wish for her to be their Queen.

"It could be returned to you," he offered, making her look at him, "If you wish it Pip, I'll give you your kingdom back. I am the Dark One dearie," he giggled, "I can do anything."

She smiled at his offer, but shook her head, "I am not who I once was," she decided, "I am not the Princess Rose Red any longer. I am the Pied Piper, not a queen."

"Ooh I think you're wrong about that," he giggled, "You most certainly are a queen."

She blinked, her face scrunching slightly, "How so?"

"I DO live in a castle dearie."

"I am aware as I am the caretaker of said castle."

"Ahh but," he held up a finger, "I think we both know you haven't been 'the caretaker' in a very long time."

She considered that, "If I am no longer your caretaker, what am I?"

"Isn't it obvious Pip?" he smiled, kissing her hand again, "You are MY Queen."

She smiled softly at that, about to speak when a trumpet sounded and two guards entered, leading the Queen between them. They both turned to watch as she was chained to a pole in the middle of the courtyard, a line of guards moving to stand before her.

A small cricket flew up to her and started to speak, "Regina. This is your opportunity to meet your end with a clear conscience. Do you have any last words?"

"Yes," Regina nodded, "Yes, I do."

"This'll be enlightening," Rumpelstiltskin grinned, already knowing what his pupil would say, he had spent too long creating the fury and revenge inside her for it to just slip away now in the face of execution.

"I know I'm being judged for my past," Regina began, "A past where I've caused pain, a past where I've inflicted misery, a past where I've…even brought death. When I look back at everything I've done, I want you all to know what I feel. And that is…regret," she paused, her eyes going to Snow who had started to smile a hopeful smile, before she smirked, "Regret, that I was not able to cause more pain," she spat, enjoying how Snow's expression fell, "Inflict more misery. And bring about more death. And above all else, with every ounce of my being, I regret that I was not able to kill…Snow White!"

"Arrows!" Charming ordered and the guards lifted their weapons as another moved forward to blindfold the former-Queen.

"Three," Piper mumbled beside him.

"Take your aim."

"Two…"

"Fire!"

"One," she pointed at Snow who immediately leapt to her feet.

"Stop!" Snow cried, just as Piper predicted, the Blue Fairy rushing forward and catching the arrows with her magic, sending them to the ground.

"Snow!?" Charming turned to her, shocked.

Piper nearly rolled her eyes at that, if the man was truly THAT surprised that SNOW WHITE had stopped an execution, he clearly did not know her all that well just yet.

But Snow just shook her head, "This is not the way," before turning to storm out of the courtyard.

Charming sighed, "Take her back to her cell," he ordered the guards who pulled the blindfold off the Queen and dragged her away.

"Very keen Pip," Rumpelstiltskin remarked.

"I know my cousin," she said absently, "Just as I know she shall be…attempting to find a way to prove either herself or her prince right, very soon."

"Well then," he grinned, "We should prepare."

~8~

This time it was Rumpelstiltskin that had gone to meet another alone, Piper knew she couldn't risk being seen by Snow White when he went to strike his next deal with the woman. If she saw her, she'd be curious and Snow wouldn't be quite as quiet as her Charming was when it came to the presence of another. She'd wonder who she was, she'd want to see her face. She knew that Charming had seen her, but he thought of her as just another lackey of Rumpelstiltskin's. It wasn't even like Snow would just know it was her either, even if he had told her about her. She was by no means the only blonde woman in the realms and that was likely the only thing Charming took away from their meetings, that she was blonde and that she had magic. He probably failed to realize that her magic was specifically from her music instead of that she seemed to use music to create the magic. Unless Charming went in detail about what he knew of her, Snow White wouldn't realize she was her cousin.

And she knew the man wouldn't go that in detail either. He had eyes only for Snow White, as it should be, he probably hardly noticed other women after having met her.

Snow Whit wouldn't know, one way or the other, that the woman that worked with the Dark One was her cousin, and she had to keep it that way. She knew that Rumpelstiltskin was curious as to why, why even now when the Queen was powerless and not at threat, did she continue to allow her cousin to think her dead. But there was more at risk for Rumpelstiltskin now than he realized if she revealed her identity. So she had to stay away, she had to allow him the chance to make this new deal with Snow White.

"My, my," he called out as Snow White took a walk in the courtyard, appearing behind her as she stared at the pole Regina had been tied to, "Aren't we troubled, dearie?"

"Rumpelstiltskin," Snow gasped as she spun around to face him, her eyes narrowing, "What brings you here?"

"You have to ask?" he giggled, "I came to witness the Queen's execution. Even had my heart set on a wee souvenir. It's all very disappointing though very much predictable, I should have taken bets," he considered that a moment.

"I won't apologize for sparing her life," Snow lifted her chin, "Not when there's a chance she might change."

"Regina redeemed, what a novel thought."

"Is it?" Snow challenged, feeling a little daring, still running off the victory of stopping both George and Regina, "I've heard YOU are changing as well."

"Have you?" he nearly snorted at that.

"You helped Charming save me," she nodded, "For nothing."

"Oh it wasn't nothing, dearie."

"He told me there was a girl, with you," she felt a small smile creep up on her, even though she couldn't imagine the Dark One with a woman, "That you did it for her."

"Well Pip is a fan of true love," he shrugged, "But I can promise you dearie, she's far from changed me."

"I think she has," Snow told him softly, there was just…such a difference between the things he asked from her and Charming and what he demanded of others in the past, from what she'd heard. It was like…he favored them in a way, perhaps it was the woman softening him, but she would have to ask others who had done deals recently if they too had been offered a smaller price than normal.

"See what you wish dearie," he shrugged, "But I assure you, she encourages my darkness whole heartedly. However," he paused to think, "The Queen is not me, you would stand a better chance changing her than changing me. But um, how do you plan to accomplish such an impressive feat?"

"I don't know," she sighed, "Charming's not sure it's even possible."

"Maybe you need someone to show you that it _is_ possible," he offered.

"What do you mean?"

"Simple," he giggled, "I provide you with a test to help determine whether the Queen can truly change."

Snow frowned at him suspiciously, "Why would I trust you, when I know you want the Queen dead? You never make a deal without a price."

"Maybe I just want her alive."

"That I doubt," she eyed him, "Does your girl want her alive?"

"Hardly," he laughed at that, "She'd sooner rip Regina's heart out and crush it than see her live another day more. That or have her suffer first."

"Then why…"

"Question my motives all you like, dearie," he cut in, starting to feel the familiar unease that came with being away from Piper for so long. He'd gotten quite used to her presence in his life, especially since she had been stabbed, he had spent nearly every minute, waking and sleeping, with her that he wasn't very comfortable being away so long, "But they shall remain mine. What is yours now, is opportunity. I can help you. Do we have a deal?" he held out his hand to her to shake.

Snow White looked at it a long moment, between it and his face, before she took his hand.

~8~

The 'test' for the Queen had been flawless and given Rumpelstiltskin exactly what he'd hoped for, a reason for Regina to cast the Dark Curse. He had taken a blindfold that the Queen had been wearing and picked a single hair off of it, using it with a drop of blood from Snow White and Prince Charming, he'd managed to use magic to create a protection spell for their families. The Queen would not be able to harm them in this world, not harm Charming, or Snow, or those of their blood. The couple had taken that to mean that any child they had in the future would be safe, however Piper knew differently. It was his final way of making sure that she would be protected from the Queen as well, she was of Snow's family after all.

Snow White had then tried to test the Queen, had let her out of her cell, free to go, because she had wanted to give the woman she felt was still in the Queen, the young woman who had saved her from that horse ages ago, the chance to be free. She was trying to give Regina a chance to start anew…but Regina had merely gotten Snow against a wall, stolen a dagger Snow had had on her, and stabbed her with it…only to discover that the dagger had made no damage at all, there was no blood, no wound, nothing at all. But she had failed Snow's test, she had proven she would not change or, as Snow thought, she was incapable of it.

So the two new rulers of the land had banished the Queen from the kingdom and if she ever returned, she would be executed then.

All that was left for the final stages of Rumpelstiltskin's plan to take shape was for the Queen to cast the curse, but she wasn't quite thinking of that just yet. She needed a small nudge out of the despair she felt at knowing that she couldn't harm the one she so badly wanted dead, to see the loophole the imp had worked into the protection spell.

"You have a visitor," the Queen's father announced as she sat alone in her own gloomy castle outside the kingdom.

"Who?" she sneered.

"You need to ask?" Rumpelstiltskin called, making her spin around to see him sitting in a chair, the girl with red hair that she'd bumped into after he'd gotten rid of Princess Belle, standing beside him, looking timid as ever.

Piper inwardly smirked as she saw the Queen roll her eyes at the sight of her, the protection, just because she could not physically harm her didn't mean she wanted Regina to know who she was. She could still kidnap her and use her as leverage against Snow and she wasn't going to let that happen. So the glamour that came into effect when she was in the Queen's presence was in full force, making her seem like the meek little caretaker the Queen thought she was.

"What other friends do you have, dearie?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"You're no friend," the Queen spat at him, "Have you come to relish my suffering?"

"I thought you'd want someone to help raise your spirits," he offered, "Especially on a day like today."

"What's so special about today?" she sneered, "Your pet's birthday?" she shot a look at Piper, the girl flinching for effect under the queen's gaze.

Rumpelstiltskin's smirk fell from his face as it hardened at the words hurled at her, "Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding, of course," he stated, "Didn't you get an invitation? Me neither. Still, nice to be able to see them declare their true love in front of their entire kingdom. A happy ending after all."

"And, because of you, there's nothing I can do to stop it," she glared, "No way to harm them in this land ever again."

"Yes, yes," he rolled his eyes, "I suppose that's true…in _this_ land."

The Queen frowned at that, hearing the emphasis in his words, "What?"

"You've gotten slow dearie," he smirked again, "Perhaps my caretaker can explain it more simply?"

"Um…" Piper stuttered, actually enjoying acting this way if it meant tricking the queen, "This land…it isn't the only land."

"Exactly," Rumpelstiltskin pointed at her before standing, "The deal I made was explicit. You can never harm them in 'this' land. Now, were you to bring them to another land…well…" he shrugged, seeing her smile as she worked out what he was hinting at, "Told you I was your friend," he turned to Piper and held out a hand, "Now, come along dearie, we've a wedding to crash," he took her hand and the two disappeared in a puff of red smoke, knowing that the Queen would only be minutes behind in attending the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming, a wedding where she'd make a threat of a curse, one that would tear away all the happy endings.

If only she knew that there was always a catch when it came to the Dark One.

A/N: I sort of wanted to show just how much Piper's been in the background trying to protect Snow :) Awww :)

No real notes on reviews from the last chapter ;)


	21. The Outsider

The Outsider

Mr. Gold drove his car up to the town line, stilling it but leaving it running, leaving the lights on as he looked at Piper in the passenger's seat, "Ready dearie?" he smiled at her.

"For this?" she mock-considered it a moment, "Very."

He grinned widely at that and reached out to take her hand, kissing it briefly before he stood and got out of the car, moving around to her side to allow her out, ever the gentleman when it came to his love. She smiled and bowed her head demurely as he offered her his hand to help her out, the two of them walking to the back where she popped the trunk to reveal Mr. Smee, Hook's first mate, was bound and gagged within it. Gold leaned in and pulled the gag off of Smee's mouth, before he reached down to grab the man, hauling him to his feet and out of the trunk.

"This will only take a moment," he told the man before leading him towards the town line.

"Don't…push me over!" Smee cried, starting to struggle, "If I cross the line, I'll lose my memory. It's a cruel fate!"

"Ooh Mr. Smee," Piper tsked, "You should know, we are two of the three people you should never speak to about cruelty. It will earn you no sympathy from us."

"It is, I believe, a fate you were more than willing to help me bestow upon Belle," Gold added.

Piper smirked at that, quite pleased to hear, when she'd returned, that Belle was not going to be an issue for them. Both Gold and Moe French were keeping quiet about the fact that they'd sent Belle over the town line so that only Isabelle remained. Isabelle stayed mostly at her father's side, glaring at Gold and her, or in the Library so it wasn't as though other people would realize that she wasn't acting like her normal self. Moe seemed keen to keep her away from any town meetings where anything fairytale was to be discussed so she was none the wiser either.

She was slightly sad that she wouldn't be able to confront the woman herself. But she was quite touched to find that Gold had felt the need to reassure her and make her return a happier one by taking care of Belle so their relationship would have no troubles from her. Besides, any revenge she would wish upon Belle might one day come about if the Fairies finished their memory restoring potion that they were testing on Sneezy. And anyway, the irritation she'd felt for a moment at finding out that Belle was no longer a problem (she would be lying to say she wasn't slightly hoping that the girl would try something that she would be able to use her new boosted magic on) when she found out what had become of King George. She'd seen him in town the next morning after she'd returned, his face terribly scarred, slouched over as he walked with a terrible limp, his arm bound to his chest in a sling.

Apparently Gold had decided that, for ever lash she'd received, it was only fitting that George receive 50 himself wherever the whip should fall…and had made sure to cauterize the wounds with his fire balls so that the wounds wouldn't heal without scarring.

She had been very, very touched at that and she was quite sure Gold had never received a better (or more tiring) thank you in his life that night.

Gold just kicked Smee to the ground, pulling her from her thoughts as he grabbed the red hat off of Smee's head, "You've had this rag since the day we met. Why is it so important to you?"

"My grandmother made it for me when I was a boy," Smee stuttered, "It's always brought me good fortune. What difference does it make?"

Gold handed it to Piper who held it up for him as he pulled a small potion bottle from his pocket, "Well, when I pour this potion onto the object one holds most dear, that object should become a talisman," he poured it over the hat, making it glow with magic.

"What…what kind of talisman?" Smee frowned.

"Oh…" he smiled, seeing that, "The one that is your only chance."

Piper turned and tossed the hat to him, the man standing as he quickly put it on with a frown, "What do you mean, my only…"

Gold lunged forward and shoved Smee over the town line, the two of them watching as a surge of blue magic began to pulse over him, making him shake before it suddenly stopped.

"Tell us," Piper called as he spun to face them, "What is your name?"

"William Smee," he breathed, his eyes wide with frightened tears though also relieved tears in that he was still in possession of his memories.

"And who are we?" she gestured between her and Gold.

"The…the Pied Piper and Rumpelstiltskin," he stated, "The Dark One," he swallowed hard, "I remember everything! How can this be?"

"Well," Gold grinned and looked at Piper, "It seems our little experiment was a success," he glanced at Smee to see him still standing there, "Now go!" Smee turned and fled before Gold could even finish speaking, "I did it," he breathed, turning to Piper with a wide smile and tears in his eyes at what this meant, "I can leave."

Piper stepped over to him and hugged him tightly, "I am so happy for you Rummy."

He held her just as tight, nearly crushing her to him in his joy, before he pulled away, "I can go find my boy," he whispered, still so stunned that it had actually worked, "I'll be able to remember who I am and who I'm looking for."

"Which token will you use the potion on?" she asked.

"Well, it won't work on a person," he looked at her intently, making her smile, "But…I have Bae's shawl in my safe," he told her quietly, "It's all I have left of my Baelfire…it's my most treasured possession of his."

"Then we had best return to your shop," she took his hand and led him back to the car, "You have another batch of potion to make. And then WE," she gave him a pointed look, telling him he would NOT be going out there alone after Bae, "Will find your son. Our families will be safe."

That was the only downside to the potion, it was so delicate and precise that it was only for one use, meaning one batch at a time. He hadn't seen the need to make two incase the first didn't work, but now that he knew it would…he would finally be able to get his boy back. And then, maybe, just maybe, he and Piper could work on their own family as they'd promised each other so long ago.

~8~

Piper was in Gold's house, packing a small bag for him, knowing that he would want to leave to find his son the MOMENT that the potion was ready to go. The good thing was that the shawl of Baelfire's would also act as a part of a locator spell so that they'd be taken right to Bae over time. It would complicate things slightly, that they'd have to follow the tug of the cloak, not knowing where they were heading, if they'd need a simple car ride or a plane ticket or anything like that. She smirked thinking about introducing Rumpelstiltskin to planes, he'd probably have a heart attack at it, but it would be amusing. Still, she was prepared to take as long as it needed for him to find his son. She was, however, thinking that she might ask Emma for help as the woman had experience finding people and tracking people down due to her bailbonds-person history.

She paused a moment in her packing, her hand gripping around the edge of a second cane for Gold before she spun around with a grunt and slammed the end of the cane into the head of the person trying to sneak up behind her. She let out a huff, blowing a piece of her hair that had fallen in front of her face from the sudden spin out of it and stared down at Hook as he laid crumpled on the floor of hers and Gold's bedroom.

She sighed, "You could not possibly have thought you could sneak up on a Siren, could you?" she asked his immobile body, reaching out with her foot to push him onto his back, shaking her head, "Or perhaps you thought my magic dimmed here?" she shrugged, she'd find out soon enough…she just had to find some rope.

So, with that thought in mind, she stepped over his immobile form and went to get some.

~8~

"That sea are has rattled your brain has it?" Piper's voice cut through the darkness of Hook's mind as he slowly found himself waking, "Or perhaps the rum has done it?"

He blinked rapidly as he fully woke before straining to try and move only to realize he was held down on a chair by some gray sort of flat rope around his wrists and legs and chest, "What have you done!?" he demanded, struggling, realizing not even his hook was in place, "What sorcery is this?"

"It is a little wonder of this realm, called duct tape," she answered, sitting across from him, for once without her feet up on something, but this was far too serious and, if Hook had any sort of trick up his sleeve, it was better for her to be prepared and ready to get to her feet than anything.

"Release me," he spat.

"No," she smirked, "You see, in this world, breaking and entering is a crime. Intent is also quite important and I do believe the intent to kill makes this a very serious crime in progress."

"Who says I was going to kill you?" he countered.

"Perhaps the fact that your hook was raised as opposed to your fist?" she smiled, "You could tell me the truth or I could just pull your heart out of your chest again. We ARE in the realm that holds Rumpelstiltskin, he would be most eager to be given that as a gift."

Hook glared at her, "Yes," he sneered, "I was going to kill you just like he killed Milah."

"Well that would be rather hard as you do not possess the skill or magic to rip my heart out," she scoffed, seeming more amused by all this than alarmed, which was NOT his goal at all, "Try again."

Hook grit his teeth at that, straining against the…duck tape was it? He didn't care what it was called it was bloody infuriating. This wasn't what was supposed to happen, he wasn't even going to kill the girl, just…spook her. He was going to sneak in and knock her out and then call up Gold wherever he was and taunt he man with having her in his possession. Use her as a hostage, he didn't care, so long as the Dark One left his precious shop. Smee had reported back to him the moment he'd made his presence known to be in Storybrooke, seeing the scamp out and goading him into joining his crew again.

Smee had reported to him that the Dark One had devised a way to leave Storybrooke and he knew he had to act fast, not just to keep the man there so he couldn't escape, but also to get his revenge. He'd had Smee watch them, to listen in, to follow them and had learned that the man had a shawl of his son's in a safe in his shop. He just needed Gold to leave it and Smee was ready and waiting to break in. For as incompetent the man was as a pirate, Smee was a dab hand at picking locks and safe breaking apparently.

For one moment, when he'd spotted Princess Belle in the library as he'd been lurking about at night, he'd considered using HER as bait. His sources in the Enchanted Forest had told him that the Dark One had had an affection for the woman. He'd tracked her down to the Evil Queen's dungeons and tried to free her, thinking that, because of his apparent affection, the Dark One would have told her how to defeat him or let something slip about a weakness…but Belle was useless, the girl was smitten with the Dark One and refused to help him. She had even told him that she'd been replaced, he hadn't thought it was literal, that she'd been replaced in the Dark One's affections as well, but looking back he doubted Belle even knew that either. All that quest had gotten him was captured by the Queen and sent on a quest to kill her mother in Wonderland…that was how he'd met Cora in the first place. She'd nearly killed him and he'd tricked Regina into thinking that he had brought back her mother's body instead, Cora was still alive though and she had decided, instead of killing her daughter, she would try to reconcile (though he doubted her sincerity) with in the land without magic after the curse was broken. She had frozen a part of the Enchanted Forest as a result to protect them from the curse. He hadn't cared one way or the other what her reasons for want to get to her daughter were so long as she helped him kill Rumpelstiltskin.

And now there he was, sitting before the Dark One's true love, tied up, unable to get the man to leave his shop for Smee to do his work.

Wonderful.

"Well?" Piper crossed her arms and lifted her eyebrow, but still Hook was silent, "I tortured my own cousin's husband, twice," she spoke, "And batted not an eyelash to it. I have no qualms with doing the same to you. You are hardly someone I fear with my true love being the Dark One. So talk."

Hook let out a huff of air, "You weren't supposed to hear me."

"Occupational hazard of being a siren," she shrugged, "I heard your song the moment you entered the house," she gestured at the bed, "Or did you think that Rummy needed a second walking stick?"

Hook glared at the bed where the cane was sitting, a second one, one that looked less worn than one that would have been used for 28 years would be.

"So you came in here, to attack me," she began, "I am assuming that it was to lure Rummy here or use me as bait of some sort?" Hook glanced at her a hint of surprise in his eyes, "Why do you think I let my cousin think me dead even after the Queen was banished?" she scoffed, "I am well aware what others would do to me should they catch me unawares. I have been caught by others when I was not paying mind and I have learned from my mistakes. It will take more than a sneaky pirate to catch me off guard. So…" she took a breath, "If you wished to use me as bait, you wanted Rummy somewhere."

"I needed him out of that shop," Hook spat, not seeing the reason to keep that hidden any longer. Gold wouldn't leave his shop till he had finished his potion and he'd take the shawl with him. HE was the one at someone's mercy now.

"Why?" she narrowed her eyes.

Hook just pursed his lips, there might be a chance, he was starting to see, that she'd call Gold there and he'd leave the shop, or she'd warn him someone was going to break into it and he'd just lock it up more securely, but that wouldn't be anything Smee and Cora couldn't take care of.

Piper let out a long breath before she fixed her eyes on him and started humming softly under her breath. The more he listened to it, the more Hook found himself wanting tot talk to tend the noise, to just…talk, to hear anything but the melody, knowing she would be trying to influence him…and realizing she was influencing him right at that moment.

"Stop it," he snarled at her, jerking in the chair as though he'd be able to leap forward at her and stop her but the duct tape held him down.

"Tell me what I want to know and I shall stop," she smirked, "You want something in his shop, and I would be willing to wager that Mr. Smee is just as much a scurvy rat as he has always been and gone running to you with news of Rummy's potion," she eyed him, spotting a tell in the clenching of his hand that told her that was exactly what happened, "You want Baelfire's shawl. I am afraid you will not be getting it, it is, as I am sure Mr. Smee told you, what he requires to find his son."

"And what makes you think his son wants to be found?" Hook countered, "Hmm? I'm doing that boy a favor."

"And why should you care?" Piper shrugged, "You wish to steal the shawl to hurt him?"

"You really have to ask that?" he scoffed, "I want the crocodile dead!"

"Why?"

He stared at her, "He killed the woman I loved!"

"And you stole the woman HE loved," Piper countered, "You made him think she was dead. You took a woman from her husband and her child and made an adulterer out of her. In our realm, adultery can be met with death if the husband so demands it," she tilted her head, "So tell me again why you should feel you deserve retribution when it was your own actions that led to the death of your beloved? Had he brought it to a trial, she would have been sentenced to that anyway."

"Is it really adultery or theft if a woman comes to you and begs you to take her away?" he sneered, "Let me tell you something about your precious Dark One, he was a coward."

"I am well aware," she said dryly, as though this were old news to her, "I believe Rummy used those exact words when we spoke of his life before he was the Dark One. That may be who he was, but that is not who he is now."

That was one of the reasons they worked, they both saw each other for who they were now, not who they had been. She was just the Piper to him, not Rose Red as he was the Dark One and not 'Hobblefoot' as he had once been called as a mortal.

"You're defending that monster," he shook his head at her, ignoring the fact that she was very much right. Their world was far less…progressive as this one was, if the Dark One had brought a cry up against his wife for what she'd done in running away with him, Milah would have died regardless, "I admire your loyalty. But helping Rumpelstiltskin? Defending him? Loving him? I'm afraid you're fighting a lost cause."

"And what cause would that be?" she crossed her legs, seeming curious.

He frowned, "You think he could truly love you? He will do anything, _anything_, to hold on to his power. Why do you think anyone who's ever gotten close to him has either run away or been killed? Now, what makes you think you're any different? Tell me something, darling. Why would you want to fight for a man like that?"

"Because I love him," she replied simply, "Darkness and all, and I will continue to love him until the day I die," she stood from the chair and turned away from him.

"So what are you going to do?" he called as she headed for the door, "Call your true love and have him remove the shawl?"

"Oh no," Piper laughed, "Rummy should focus on his potion and if I tell him about this little disagreement he would be distracted," she smirked, "_I_ am going to take a peek in your ship and see what else you are trying to hide from me."

"There's nothing there!" Hook shouted, "You'll find nothing!"

She shook her head at him, "For a pirate, you know nothing about what a siren can read off a person."

And with that, she shut the door and turned to leave, leaving Hook trapped there.

~8~

Piper made her way to the docks, coming to a slow stop as she looked around. She knew Hook from the tales Gold had told her, the man would never depart his beloved Jolly Rodger and that had to mean that it was there somewhere, the fact that he hadn't denied there was a ship before she'd left him meant that the ship was certainly there. She could guess how he had made it to Storybrooke, he had that dried up bean and the waters of Lake Nostos were restorative. She should have thought of that before, warned Regina and Gold to try and create some way to block the sea from them as she doubted a ship would make it out of that well. But she'd been a little preoccupied with being back and then the whole mess with Archie had come up and she hadn't thought of it.

She frowned though when she eyed the ships that were there to see the Jolly Rodger wasn't among them. She closed her eyes and listened though she knew it might be for nothing if there was no one on the ship. There was nothing there so she opened her eyes and looked, using her eyes to see that there were seagulls circling over one specific area, before landing on something that was clearly a perch of some sort that didn't exist to the naked eye.

"Found you," she muttered, heading for the docks and walking along one till she got close enough to hear a sort of splashing noise, one that came about when a ship was rocking in the waters. She moved over to a barrel of sawdust and threw it in the direction of the ship, spotting a plank that led up to it.

She made her way up the plank quickly, stepping up to what appeared to be stairs and moved down them, crossing whatever ward there was that blocked the ship from sight. She looked around, finding herself on its deck and stopped hearing a familiar song in her mind. She turned to the side and headed below deck, the song getting louder, but it wasn't the only thing that was.

She could hear someone yelling and frowned as she recognized the voice.

"Archie?" she moved over to a grate in the floor.

"Hello!?" Archie cried, hearing his name, "Down here!"

"Yes, I got that thanks," she muttered, pulling the grate up to see Archie tied up below.

"Piper!?" he gaped, "I mean, um, Princess Rose Red, I…"

"Piper," she cut in, hopping down into the holding cell, "I prefer Piper."

"Oh, um, well, what are you doing here?"

"Investigating," she shrugged, "And apparently finding someone who should be dead."

"What?!" Archie gaped at her, though his eyes widened even more when she pulled out the Dark One's dagger from her boot and sliced through the ropes around his wrists.

She put a finger to her lips as she slipped the dagger back, "Our secret," she told him.

He nodded and quickly got to untying his legs as she hopped back out, reaching down to offer him her hand to help him up as well.

"People think I'm dead?" Archie stared at her.

"Yes," she nodded, "They believe Regina killed you. I suppose I should return you quickly before Hook returns…"

"And Cora," Archie added as they headed up deck again, "Cora's here too."

"Wonderful," Piper remarked.

Archie frowned at that, "Is…is it?" her tone hadn't sounded at all like she was displeased with that.

"Oh yes," Piper nodded, "It is hard to take revenge on someone for murdering your parents when their parents are dead, is it not?"

"Um…" Archie just shook his head, really having no idea what to say to that or if she was serious or what she was planning, right now he just wanted to get off that ship.

~8~

"Busy day Pip?" Gold asked as she walked up behind him as he stood before the town line, Baelfire's shawl in his hands. He'd finished the potion a short while ago and wanted to test it out instantly, he had assumed, when she hadn't returned to the shop and he'd stopped home to see them all packed to go, that she had gone to see Mary Margaret. He'd been correct when he'd called the apartment and requested Piper to meet him. She had known exactly where to go.

She shrugged, "Brought someone back from the dead, plotted revenge, knocked out a pirate," she nodded, "Fairly usual."

He started to nod as well, when her words reached him, "Pirate?"

"It appears both Hook and Cora have followed Snow, Emma, and I," she sighed, "He was attempting to capture me for bait to lure you out of your shop so Smee could steal the shawl."

"And you knocked him out?"

"He tried to sneak up on a Siren," she defended, "It was within my right to defend myself," she smiled a little, knowing what one cause of his alarm was, "If it helps, it was one of YOUR canes that knocked him out."

"You should have contacted me Pip," he frowned, "Hook is dangerous and…"

"And he is not about to get anywhere near me to harm me," she reassured him, "I shall always hear him coming and I would rather see the man dead than run off with him," she patted his arm, "You have nothing to fear Rummy."

He sighed, he really would have to speak to her about that, but right then something else hit him, "Brought back the dead?"

The plotting revenge was the only normal part of her statement.

"Apparently Archie is still alive," she remarked, "Cora used a spell to appear as though she were Regina and staged it all. I brought him to Emma and Henry, I know it devastated him to lose Archie, but he is well now. They are attempting to try and find Regina to warn her."

He nodded and let out a long breath, before glancing down at the shawl, thinking on her words, "This would have been lost if it wasn't for you," he murmured, before turning to her, "I would have been lost if I had lost you as well," he looked at her intently, "After everything you know about me, Pip, after everything I've done, why haven't you left me yet?"

She knew where it was coming from so she wasn't offended, it appeared as though every woman he had cared for, every PERSON he had cared for, had a way of abandoning him or being unhappy with him and choosing another life over one with him. Milah had chosen Hook, Cora had chosen a prince, Baelfire had chosen a realm without magic, no one had picked HIM.

"The same reason, I should hope, that you have not left me either," she said simply.

He nodded, neither of them needing to voice their love to know that was what kept them together.

"You call me your greatest treasure Rummy," she continued, "But I dare say you are also mine. The greatest song I have ever heard"

He smiled softly at that, reaching out to take her hand as they approached the town line together. He handed her the shawl to hold as he poured the potion on it, watching as it flashed with magic just like Smee's hat had. She smiled and looped it over his neck.

"Here we go," he let out a breath and took a step over the line. He winced as a surge of magic went up his body before he turned to face her, standing on opposite sides of the line, "Piper."

"It worked," she beamed.

"Yes," he started to laugh, happy, "It did. It did!

"And now we can find your son," she nodded, stepping closer to the line as he stepped closer as well, "Hook is in the woods," she whispered to him as they hugged.

A moment later a shot rang out and Piper stumbled forward, into Gold's shocked arms. He'd tried to call up a magical shield to protect them, but nothing had happened. Of all the times to find out that his magic wouldn't continue to work on that side of the line it had to be when a crazed pirate had shot at his true love.

"I wouldn't count on it!" Hook sneered as he stepped out from the line of trees, his pistol aimed.

"Pip?" Gold looked at her as she groaned in pain, before lowering her to the ground, her hand going to her shoulder as she winced, pressing her hand to it as it started to bleed.

"You shot me!" she nearly growled as she twisted to glare at Hook.

"Aye," he grinned, "And now that you're on THAT side, you're powerless."

"You think so?" she grit her teeth before letting out a shrill whistle that had Hook wincing and covering his ears, stumbling back, "My magic may not be as strong here as in Storybrooke, but it is very much there, and music CARRIES!"

Gold stood, moving in front of her and bringing up his hand, a ball of fire in it as he glared at Hook.

"Go ahead, crocodile," Hook baited, "Do your worst!"

"Oh, I intend to," Gold muttered, moving to throw the fireball at him only for the sound of an engine to reach them. He turned and spotted a car racing towards them and quickly grabbed Piper just as she got to her feet and pulled her to the side, avoiding it…allowing the car to hit Hook instead.

Well, that wasn't quite as good as beating him to death with his cane or burning him alive with his magic…but it would have to do for now.

However the two soon realized they had something far bigger to worry about when they saw that the car, with a license plate for Pennsylvania, had crossed INTO the town line.

A/N: I sort of wanted a little independent Piper chapter :) And I wanted someone to just smack Hook for a second and get the upper hand on him. Piper will have a very BIG issue with Hook and how he interacts with Emma at times }:)

I was trying to get this chapter up earlier, to make it a Father's Day surprise, but it's after midnight now (for me) and I missed it :( My father decided, instead of family day at home, we would all be helping him work on a truck (he's a mechanic) that he needed to get finished today. We literally just got home about 1 hour ago and I really just wanted to get this chapter up. I gave it the quickest edit of my life lol, so I'll be going through it tomorrow to try and see if I missed anything. Unfortunately, that means that tomorrow's chapters might be delayed as well since these were so late :(

But still, Happy (belated) Father's Day! :)

Some notes on reviews...

There'll definitely be more bonding going on yup ;) Oh I can't wait for Bae too ^-^

Nope, Piper was protected from the curse due to Rumple's interference and her own mind magic, she can cross the town line whenever she wants :) So she'll definitely be going to find Bae and she'll have quite a surprising revelation ;)

That's ok :) I'm glad you're enjoying the stories (both this and Merlin) :) That was one thing that bothered me, once you realize how much Rumple made Regina what she was and all the consequences after it, it sort of keeps fueling one of my future OUAT OCs and making her go 'I need to be there! Write me!' Lol :) I think Snow has some doubts, she's just focusing on the fact that Piper can't hear the song now instead of Piper feeling like the song didn't end just disappeared. Piper didn't tell Snow mostly because she's not entirely sure. I think that Cora chose to stay with the Jolly Rodger because the sea and the sounds of the ocean and the masking of the ship is making it harder for Piper to hear, the docks might be too far away for her to hear Cora specifically till she's closer and she hasn't come that close till now :) Once she's heard a song it sort of fades away so she doesn't really notice it and the distance and magic and ocean noises don't help her much :( But now they know ;) Piper and Neal haven't met, nope, but August and Neal have. Oh Neal will have no idea what to do with Piper lol :) That was a big thing I wanted for Piper and Gold, I always felt like Belle kept denying his darkness, but Piper embraces it and they own it ;)


	22. Blood Sisters

Blood Sisters

Rose Red dashed through the trees, her dark red cloak billowing behind her as she ran down a hill, trying her hardest not to trip and fall. She really hated dresses that went to her feet, but her Aunt Eva loved to see her in them and she was visiting them right now. Eva especially loved to dress her and her cousin, Snow White, in the same dress, matching them as though they were sisters instead of cousins. She was fine with that sentiment, she loved Snow so much, looked up to the young girl only 2 years her elder, and wished on the first star she saw each night that they could really be sisters. She was only 3 years old right now, Snow was 5, but she was determined to be just like Snow.

She was sure, if Eva or her uncle Leopold knew what she and Snow were doing right now they'd throw a little fit. They always told Snow to watch out for her when they went out of the castle, sent a handful of guards with them because they thought she and Snow were too young to wander the forest on their own. She giggled as she moved behind a tree to rest a moment, the guards were silly. They were so easy to distract and to sneak past, it was a surprise that the men tasked with keeping her and Snow safe were so incompetent. But, then again, her Uncle Leopold's kingdom was rather safe, the people were gentle, their king benevolent, everyone was happy. The people especially loved Snow and they would never do anything or let anything happen to the princesses.

She looked up, seeing that the tree she'd hidden behind was rather large and the roots were coming up from the ground. It would be perfect! She moved closer to the roots, to a small little niche that they made at the base and huddled there, wrapping her cloak around her and realizing that a darker color than red would probably be better to hide with. But she didn't have time to think about that and the white gown she was wearing under it would just be more of an eyesore and she'd be found even easier. She covered the edge of her cloak over her mouth to stifle more of her giggles, Snow should be very easy to find when it was her turn.

They were playing hide and seek, a game they had seen the village children playing at times and one they were eager to try themselves. It was her turn. The moment they'd snuck away from the guards and into the forest, she'd gone to hide, Snow counting to 20 to give her a head start. She was very certain that she would win this game. Snow wasn't the best at finding things, she was always losing things all over the castle and it was like a treasure hunt to find them again. It was fun most of the time though, it gave them adventures to go on inside the castle walls, especially on rainy days. But it also gave her an advantage because Snow couldn't track anything.

She grinned widely under her cloak edge, just thinking about how she was going to win this. Snow was so perfect, she was a proper princess, always polite and kind to people. Well, most of the time. Sometimes, when there were formal occasions like balls and things, Snow could get a little too focused on trying to look like a real princess, like the princess she was expected to be, and she could be a bit mean to the servants. But that was ok, she always apologized afterwards. But Snow was older than her and did more than her, she knew so much and she looked up to Snow very much. But because Snow was older, she had more practice in some games and any chance she got to try and beat her cousin at something she would do it. She was very good at hiding, at becoming invisible when she wanted to be.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. She wasn't sure if it was just a result of being in her own kingdom that she thought that. Some of the people in her villages didn't seem keen on her. She didn't know why but the people focused more on her father than her or her mother. She knew her mother was different, that wasn't a secret anyone kept from her. Her mother was a Siren of the Sea, so she was half Siren too. She could tell, no matter how much people tried to hide it, that her mother (and her) weren't entirely accepted, that the people didn't feel really comfortable around them, especially when her mother was there. She tried, she really did, to be like the other children, to smile and laugh at the things they did, she really really tried. But…sometimes she didn't see what was funny about what they laughed at. Sometimes she didn't feel the same as them, when something sad happened she didn't feel as sad as the people around her…unless it was her family that was sad, then she cried.

Whatever the case was, she wasn't very noticed in her kingdom, she wasn't even really noticed in Snow's either. The people there focused on their own princess more than her, which she understood. So she knew how to blend in around her and just be overlooked. So she knew she could win this game, she could finally find a game that she could beat Snow at, even if it was just hide and seek.

Her giggles quieted quite suddenly when she heard a small chirp above her.

She stilled and closed her eyes, letting out a breath as she realized what had likely happened. She opened her eyes and looked up, seeing a bluebird on the branch of a tree before her. It tilted its head at her, chirped slightly, before it took off. Rose pouted and crossed her arms, huffing and not bothering to get up. There was no point, because she knew what would happen if she tried to find another spot right now. Snow would see her and catch up to her (being older was annoying at times, Snow was bigger, she had longer legs!) or one of the birds would find her and tell Snow anyway.

"That's cheating," she huffed when she heard a twig snap behind her.

"Found you!" Snow sang as she plopped down on a root beside her, grinning widely as she poked Rose in the arm.

"Cheater," Rose stuck out her tongue at her cousin.

"How did I cheat?" Snow laughed.

"You used your birdies," Rose told her, "They tattled on me!"

Snow grinned, "They just helped me," she shrugged, "Papa says that a good ruler uses everything to their advantage. They use every resource, and that's what I did," she eyed her cousin, "I could always teach you how to talk to the birds."

Rose grimaced at that, "No," she wrinkled her nose, "The birds don't like me anyway."

"No animals like you Rosie," she teased.

"And all the animals love you Frosty," she rolled her eyes, "I don't care if they don't like me."

"You don't?" Snow tilted her head, she loved animals so she couldn't imagine if they didn't like her back.

"Do YOU like me?" Rose turned to her with wide eyes.

"I love you Rose," Snow told her earnestly.

Rose beamed, "Then I don't care if the animals don't," she nodded.

Snow smiled at that, "I'm glad I mean more than the animals," she giggled, "But I am glad that they like me."

"Why?" Rose frowned.

"Cos it'll make it easier to win if they help me!" Snow leapt to her feet, "Cos now it's your turn!"

And with that Snow ran off, a loud laugh echoing from her as she zigged and zagged through the trees.

Rose sighed but closed her eyes, putting her hands over them for extra measure and started to count down from 20. Snow might think she'd win this game, but she wasn't the only one with a trick up her sleeve to find someone.

~8~

Rose slowly made her way through the forest, slower than she probably should have if Snow had started to run instead of just hide like she had. But she knew she could do it, she could find Snow and she'd win this round. They probably would only have enough time to play this final round instead of to just keep playing, but there was a little lake in the forest too that they wanted to visit before they headed back to the castle, before they found the guards again. The guards, whenever they'd slip past, would get frantic and try to find them first before telling the kings and queens or anyone else that they'd lost the princesses. More often than not they'd make their way back to the guards and be returned to their parents with the royals none the wiser that their children had been missing for hours on end.

Right now though she wasn't thinking of her parents or the guards, she was concentrating on her cousin. She had noticed a small talent of hers that she hadn't told anyone about just yet. She…heard things, mostly when she was around her family but it was getting stronger. She heard a small song, in her head, when she was around Snow or her family. Snow's was strongest, the one she remembered best, besides her own father and mother's, but she had found that, if she was close enough to her cousin, and if she really, really focused, she could hear her song and find her cousin anywhere nearby. She was trying to do that now. She was listening as intently as she could, through the sounds of the forest around her, the birds chirping and the animals moving and the leaves rustling, trying to hear Snow's song.

It was frustrating though, she was so young and she was only just barely starting to get a tiny grasp on what she could do and what she might be capable of in the future. Her mother, she knew, had a wonderful voice, she often sang her to sleep at night, a soft lullaby that her father knew and taught her mother. She would fall asleep right away and she was sure it had nothing to do with the song itself, but with her mother. Sirens were special, they had a connection to music that others didn't and she wanted to know what it was, she wanted to know more. She loved music, she loved hearing songs and she wanted to practice more, she wanted to know what she could do with her music. She felt it inside herself, it was like it was bubbling in her soul and was waiting to come out, she just…didn't know how. Her mother had seemed to sense it though, had started to tell her bedtime stories about Sirens and what they could do. Her mother had even said that, after this visit to Snow's, she would start teaching her music herself.

She was SO excited! She couldn't wait to find out what she could do with her voice or instruments and other things. She knew she was only half-Siren, but that had to mean something, there had to be something she could do, some sort of Siren magic she could tap into. She just wanted to know what she was and where she belonged. She was quite precocious, in some areas, for a girl her age, but she was already thinking about who she was meant to be, just…finding a place that she fit in. If she knew more about what she was and who she was on the inside, she was sure that she could figure out how to act around other people.

She shook her head, needing to focus on the task at hand. She paused, stopping in the middle of a small clearing in the woods, really a very small clearing, and listened. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, listening intently to the sounds around her, pushing past all the natural noises till she heard it, faint as it was, but she heard it. Snow's song was coming from her left.

She grinned and opened her eyes, before she hiked up the bottom of her skirt and ran in that direction. She and Snow were always careful to keep the bottoms of their dresses up a little bit so that it wouldn't get too dirty and alert their parents as to where they'd really been. But she was so excited, she'd done it! She'd heard Snow's song! Snow White's song was actually a little hard to distinguish at times, especially in the woods. Her song was like a mixture of birdsongs, harps, a little flute, and a sort of harsh timbre underneath it all, like it was trying to encompass winter with that little undertone. It reminded her of the songs of her Aunt and Uncle though, light tunes and breezes and the strength a ruler needed to have to be an effective one.

It was sometimes tricky to try and listen for her because of the birdsong she could hear in the song, she supposed though it was what made her cousin able to be so in tune with the birds, but she wasn't thinking about that right now. No, right now she was about to win this round of the game!

She ran faster and faster, up a small hill, and stopped when she saw a large boulder before her. She bit her lip in excitement before she dashed towards it, able to hear her cousin's song getting louder and louder the closer she came. She slowed though only a few feet away from it, pausing to listen, not to her song, but to see if she could hear Snow breathing. She could, so she tiptoed closer and closer to the boulder, wanting to surprise her. Snow was remarkably not-sneaky, even when she tried she always managed to make noise or step on twigs or crunchy leaves. She wanted to surprise her cousin this time, spook her just a little. She liked doing that, spooking people at times, frightening them. It did make some of the servants and kitchen staff in her castle call her a little terror when they thought she couldn't hear them, but it was all in good fun.

She grew closer and closer, her eyes on the ground, careful not to step on anything that would make a sound. She rounded the boulder and jumped, "Boo!" she shouted…before falling to the ground, clutching her stomach as she laughed louder than she ever had at the shrill scream her cousin let out.

"Rosie!" Snow huffed, her hand on her heart, staring at her cousin with wide, terrified eyes, "You scared me!"

"I found you!" Rose grinned up at her, laughing even more as she pointed at Snow's face, "You look like a deer!"

Snow pouted at that and crossed her arms, knowing she was likely standing there with her eyes wide and her mouth open, probably more like a fish than a deer, but Rose didn't have much experience with fish so she probably didn't know what they looked like much, "That wasn't nice."

"It was fun though," Rose smiled as she pushed herself to sit up, "And your face Frosty!" she giggled a bit at the memory of it.

"You're a little meanie," Snow told her, moving to sit on a smaller rock.

"And you're a cheater," Rose pointed out, not about to tell Snow about her own method of cheating, "But I still found you."

Snow started to smile, nodding at that, "Yes you did," she sighed and looked up at the sun for a moment, "Do you want to go another round?" she grinned.

"Nuh uh," Rose shook her head, "Cos then you'll win!" she accused lightly, "We won't have time for another round after that and I'll lose cos of that," she pouted, her eyes narrowing, "You're trying to trick me!"

"I would never!" Snow declared, but the small smile on her face was hard to believe.

"Cheater," Rose huffed.

Snow rolled her eyes, "Alright, fine, no more hide and seek," she got up off her small rock and held out a hand to Rose, "Want to find the little lake?"

Rose grinned slyly at that and took Snow's hand…only to pull her down and twist, the two girls starting to roll down the small hill with loud laughs following them even as they landed in a heap on the ground at the base of it, their faces flushed and their sides hurting from laughing so much.

~8~

Rose laughed as she sat at the edge of the lake, her feet dipped in the edges of it as Snow waded out to her knees deep, her skirt and dress all bunched up around her hips to try and keep it dry. Well, it was her underdress actually, not her outer dress, she'd had enough sense to leave that on a branch behind them and since it was just the two of them at the edge of the small lake, there was no real danger of needing it. It wasn't actually a lake, when Rose thought about it, it was more like a pond, but to two small girls it looked like a lake. They would have to stop soon and head back to the castle, the guards would start to grow a little too frantic soon and then it would be a nightmare to return to. They'd been there for about an hour now, just relaxing and enjoying their little adventure.

"I still say we should have swam," Snow sighed, turning to make her way out of the pond.

"I don't know how to," Rose reminded her.

"But your mother's a Siren!" Snow let out an over exaggerated sigh and plopped down beside her cousin, falling back onto the grass beside her, "They LIVE in the water!"

"But I'm only half," Rose wrapped her arms around her knees as she brought them up, "Mother doesn't like me being too near the water either."

Snow had to nod at that, she'd asked her father about it once, why her aunt never seemed to let her cousin near the lakes or take her on trips to the oceans when they had a small chance to enjoy their family together. She was sure that his answer to her had been very…covered, very soft compared to what the truth was…so she'd asked her aunt as well the moment she'd had a chance to do so. Her answer had both alarmed her but also made her understand.

It was a very delicate situation, especially for Rose.

Her aunt was a Siren, she would always be a Siren of the Sea, there would be no changing that. But she had left the sea, she'd left her family and her community to come on land and marry her uncle and because of that…well, things were strained, was how her father had described it. Deadly was how her aunt had spoken of it. Sirens were all about family and her departure was seen as a betrayal of that family. The Sirens understood that love was special and magical and when a Siren found the person they were meant to be with, they should be allowed to be with them…it was just that most of those pairings were Sirens with Sirens, hardly any were between a Siren and a human. They accepted her leaving, to be with the man she loved, but they took her departure as her turning her back on her underwater family and leaving them alone. Community was just as important to Sirens, and for her aunt to leave was tantamount to a banishment or an exile.

Her aunt could never return.

She didn't doubt that her aunt loved her uncle, she would never fear that she'd leave him to return to the sea, but she also knew that it meant that there were consequences for her cousin as well. Rose was too young to understand the ramifications of her mother leaving the sea in terms of what it meant about HER. The community of Sirens saw Rose, or might likely see Rose, as being equal to a Siren in their eyes. They would see her only as their fellow's offspring, and a traitor by blood as a result. If Rose got too close to the sea or lakes, there was a chance that the Sirens could strike. The Sirens of the Lakes were different, but they could smell the Sea on her aunt (apparently she'd had a run in with just such a Siren once and nearly died because of it) and her aunt was terrified they could smell it on Rose as well. The Sea was far more dangerous for Rose though.

The Sirens of the Sea, her aunt feared, would take it upon themselves to deal out a punishment to HER by taking her daughter from her. And that was what alarmed her parents, and her aunt and uncle, more than anything. They truly didn't know what would happen to Rose if the Sirens of the Sea got their hands on her. Would they kill her? Would they use her as bait or leverage to lure her aunt in and kill her instead? Would they hold her for some sort of ransom (though she didn't know what Sirens would want with gold)? Or would it be even worse? Would it be that they would take Rose and try to convert her into a true Siren? Would they try to manipulate her thoughts and her heart and her blood to try and make her one of them? Turn her against her family on land?

They didn't know and not knowing was the worst of all, especially for her aunt. Family was so utterly important to them that her departure meant that she honestly didn't know what to expect of the people she'd once thought of as family. It twisted them and changed them. Her aunt could no more guess what her family would do to her daughter than a farmer could guess what sort of fish they'd caught on a pole. It was nearly impossible.

Betrayal changed people, especially Sirens. She had been told that, for every true and deep harm or loss they suffered, their hearts hardened. Her aunt's family, their hearts had been hardened against her. And that made them infinitely more dangerous as they would go farther than before to see her suffer or pay retribution for leaving them.

It was why Rose hadn't been near the water, why she didn't know how to swim. And, frankly, she was glad of it. Rose was her baby cousin and she couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her. She was very grateful for her aunt and her precautions with Rose. She knew that her aunt was trying to have another heir to the throne, her mother was as well. Both women wanted to have another go at motherhood, but this time with children nearly identical in age. She and Rose were actually quite hopeful and excited for it, to be big sisters to little ones, to teach them and help their mothers and have someone to play with when they weren't together. It was up to fate though what happened now.

"Could YOU teach me to swim?" Rose asked, making Snow look at her.

"Of course!" Snow beamed at that, she absolutely loved to teach Rose how to do different things, like tying her shoes and how to use the right forks and knives at dinner and how to properly brush the hair of her dollies, teaching her to swim would be another adventure, "One day."

"Why not now?" Rose turned to her.

"Because it'll take longer than we have silly," Snow smiled, "And I think father would want to be there too. Just to make sure we're both safe. Father taught me how to swim."

"Ok," Rose let out a long sigh and leaned back on the grass beside Snow, her knees still bent up as they rested beside each other, "Frosty?" she asked after a moment.

"What is it Rosie?" Snow turned her head to glance at her.

"If our parents have another baby…that means we'd be their sisters, right?"

Snow blinked, before letting out a little laugh, it seemed her cousin had been thinking much of what she had as well, "Right," her smile slowly faded though when she saw her cousin wasn't wearing as happy an expression as she was, "What's wrong?"

Rose turned her head to look at Snow, "Does…does that mean WE won't be sisters anymore?"

Snow paused at that, considering her cousin's words. They both knew they weren't really sisters, but they were as close as, they were as good as, in their hearts and minds and souls they WERE sisters. But she could see what her cousin was worried about, would having an actual sibling to be a sister of mean they'd drift apart and become just cousins? She could feel her own stomach churning at that thought, she loved her cousin very much and she didn't want to lose that closeness or connection.

"We'll always be sisters," she nodded at Rose, reaching out to take her hand.

"You promise?" Rose whispered, her voice so quiet and sad that Snow nearly felt like she could cry at how much her cousin loved her and wanted to be her true sister.

"I do," she swore.

"But…how?"

Snow scrunched up her face as she thought on that, there had to be some way to reassure her cousin. They were very different, despite sharing blood, she was more a believer. She could take anyone at their word, she could trust anyone until they gave her a reason not to, she could do well on mere promises and intent to keep them. But Rose was different, she was less a believer and more someone who needed proof. She felt sure that people lied too often to be taken at their word, she didn't trust anyone until they gave her a reason to, and she thought that all promises ended up being broken in the end and that people made them with empty intent more often than not. Rose was the kind who needed proof and action instead of words and promises.

"I've got it!" Snow suddenly gasped, sitting up and turning to look at her cousin as Rose slowly sat up, still clutching Rose's hand in her own, though in both of hers now.

"What?" Rose asked.

"We can be Blood Sisters!" Snow beamed.

But Rose scrunched up her face this time, in confusion, "What's a Blood Sister?"

"It's like a little magic spell," she told Rose, "We each cut our hand, share our blood, and make an oath to be sisters forever!"

It wasn't until she'd said it out loud that she realized just what being Blood Sisters would mean, and looked at her cousin in concern as she had literally just told her they had to cut themselves open and bleed to do this…which was not something any three year old she knew would be very keen to experience.

But Rose's eyes just widened, "And we'll be sisters!?"

Snow nearly laughed at that, she should have expected it, expected excitement at the prospect of being sisters than fear of the pain that would come in cutting themselves. Her cousin was very…special like that, "Uh huh," she nodded, "Forever and ever."

"Let's do it!"

"Are you sure?" Snow frowned, not quite sure if Rose understood what she was saying, "It might hurt," she warned.

"I don't care," Rose shook her head, "I want to be your sister Snow. Please can we do it?" she started to squeeze her hand, "Please, please, please?"

"Alright, alright," Snow smiled, "Um…oh!" she gave a little jump, "I have…something…" she turned and started to feel her pockets, "Father gave it to me, here!" she pulled out a small little mirror from her pocket, "We can use this!"

"How?" Rose eyed it.

"Like this," she turned and smashed the mirror on the edge of a small rock beside them, shattering it slightly. Snow carefully picked out the largest chunk of glass and held it up.

"Won't uncle be cross that you've broken it?"

Snow shrugged, "I dropped it before so it was already cracked. Now," she turned her hand over, holding the mirror shard above it, "Are you ready?"

Rose nodded, biting her lip in determination before she held her hand out right beside Snow's. Snow winced as she made a small cut on her palm, before hesitating on Rose, waiting till her baby cousin gave her a nod to go ahead before she quickly made a parallel cut on her small hand, wincing for her cousin when Rose hardly even flinched.

"What now?" Rose breathed.

"Now we do this," Snow reached out with her cut hand and turned it so she could grasp her cousin's cut hand as well, mixing their blood, "Repeat after me, ok?" Rose nodded, "Blood of my blood and bone of my bone…"

"Blood of my blood and bone of my bone…"

"I promise you now, you'll never be alone."

"I promise you now, you'll never be alone."

"The blood that we share, from daughter or son…"

"The blood that we share, from daughter or son…"

"Sisters forever, the deed is done."

"Sisters forever, the deed is done."

Snow leaned in and twisted their hands, kissing the back of Rose's, twisting their hands back so Rose could do the same and kiss her hand in return before they let go, "Now we're sisters," she smiled.

Rose just beamed and leaned in, half tackling her cousin to the ground with a high giggle as she hugged her tightly, knowing now that they'd truly be sisters, no matter what.

It wouldn't be till much later, when they returned to Snow's castle with the relieved guards and explained to Snow's parents they'd fallen in the courtyard and cut their hands, that Rose paused, frowning as she glanced back at the forest, at a small bluebird sitting on a wall…swearing she'd heard it whispering to her.

But it had to be a mistake, the birds only talked to Snow.

A/N: I want to start by saying I am so very, _very_ sorry that there were no chapters for so long :'( The last week was just...not good for me :( It was like one bad thing after another. A fight after Father's Day with me as mediator, me making myself sick worrying about Wednesday (my 26th birthday...when I came off my father's insurance) and my fears of the fallout that that would lead to, ending up with a bruised hip via my sister and having an actual breakdown in front of my birthday cake and my parents (and being told to 'stop crying' and 'don't make a big deal about it' and 'you'll get over it'), before they finally realized something was actually and genuinely upsetting me. Then quite a few days of my parents finally realizing that everything they were laying on me (from responsibilities as the eldest child to needing a job with benefits for insurance to getting my CPA and an accounting job to how I'm 'wasting my life' with writing) was deeply getting to me and sitting down and finally_ talking_ with me about our issues and trying to resolve them. I feel so incredibly bad that I didn't update, even worse that I didn't post anything on tumblr to warn you there might not be updates, but a lot of the issues that we had to resolve involved writing in general and I literally couldn't look at the computer without starting to cry.

I really do sincerely apologize for worrying you with no updates and no note on tumblr, it was a terribly inconsiderate thing on my part and you all deserved so much better than that :( I hope you can forgive me :')

On a lighter note, I will hopefully be back to officially updating at the normal times after today if all goes well :') My parents have finally realized just how important writing (not just fanfiction, but just writing in general) is to me and...I'll be enrolling in Master's courses for an English degree, and I've applied to a few colleges as an adjunct creative writing instructor too (and even one as a Mythology/Trojan War professor)! My parents have come to terms with the fact that forcing me to endure 4 years of accounting, and then 3 more years of graduate accounting, and a job in accounting when I hate accounting (and understanding that that job made me hate my life to the point where writing was my ONLY outlet to not break down) was not the right thing to do. They've finally realized that all their complaints that I was constantly on the computer and writing came from that place of needing something good in my life after working that job and writing was it, that if I had had a job that made me happy, I wouldn't feel the need to write so obsessively. They've apologized for killing my plans to be an Archaeologist from 8 years ago and I am not expected to sit for the CPA exam, they're fully encouraging me to contact more literary agents and jobs I am interested in. I've been going crazy applying to editing/writing/publishing jobs around my county, applying to colleges for instructing positions, I'm even going to be going with my mother to the Met Museum next weekend to see if I might have what it takes to be a tour guide in the Classics, Medieval, and Egyptian sections so that I can apply there too! My mother hates museums but she's actually encouraging this :') They've even given me their blessing to try for applying to a museum science degree (my 2nd choice of a future career, being a curator at a museum)!

I really feel like I'm in a good place now which is a near 180 from feeling like my world/life was falling apart around me last week :')

Some notes on reviews...

For the Mentalist, it would still have Patrick's history being what it was, with Red John killing his wife :( So we'd have a new OC to see him with :)

Hook will definitely try to follow them ;) August, before a certain event in the future, can still cross the town line and remember who he is yup ;) But Emma and Henry will go with them, yup, Henry has to be there for a very key moment for Piper and Emma won't let him go alone ;) Piper could probably hear someone's song who's not from the EF, especially if they're in Storybrooke, but it's so very very weak in the outside world where magic doesn't exist that it's incredibly difficult for her to hear them ;)

I actually have it up on my profile a Criminal Minds (Spencer/OC) story to come next year hopefully ;)

Oh Piper is going to have major issues with Hook that will lead to the Flook happening ;) As for Cora, we'll have to wait and see }:)

I've been around, trying to resolve about 9 years worth of unresolved issues with my parents :( But I'm alright now and the updates will continue ;)

And a happy (belated) birthday to Kuroshitsujilover01! I am SO sorry I missed posting this on your actual birthday :( Lol, we have the same one! ;) I hope you had a truly fantastic day though :)


	23. In the Name of the Brother

In the Name of the Brother

"Well…" Piper winced as she gripped her shoulder, Gold tightening his hold around her, "That is…something."

It was likely some sort of chaos going on around them, what with Hook lying unconscious in the road, the car that had crashed into him against the welcome sign, the stranger still in the car, unconscious as well, and her standing there with a bleeding shoulder and sirens going off in the distance.

"It certainly was Pip," Gold muttered, before turning to her, "Let me," he reached out for her shoulder, intending to heal it, but frowned when he saw that it wasn't healing. His magic was working, but it wasn't healing at all. He turned, conjuring a fireball in his hand, proving his magic was fine, but the wound was still there, "What…"

Piper sighed, looking at her arm and then the town line, "Could it be because of the line?"

That was all she could think of, that, because she'd been wounded and it had forced her over the line that, perhaps it had somehow made her wound unable to be healed by magic? It shouldn't have been so but, then again, the other times she'd needed him to heal her, it had been because of something that happened to her within the town lines, when magic existed, and even when she'd come from the Enchanted Forest, it had also been because magic had been involved. Perhaps falling across the line, to a world without magic, had somehow saturated the wound against magic? She honestly wasn't sure, all she knew was that her arm was bleeding and magic wasn't healing it this time.

"I don't know dearie," he muttered, "But I don't like it."

"Neither do I," she told him.

"We should get you to the hospital," Gold turned to her, about to lead her off when a squad car skid to a halt before them, Emma, David, and Mary Margaret getting out. They took one look at the scene before Emma started to radio for help, David rushing to the crashed car while Mary Margaret ran for Piper.

"Rose!" Mary Margaret gasped, reaching out to try and hold her arm still, staring at the sight of blood, "What happened?!"

"I'm at the town line," Emma was saying behind her, "Two people down, maybe three. There's a car, pretty banged up with Pennsylvania plates."

"What's going on?" David looked up from trying to get the car door opened, but it was jammed.

"As it turns out," Piper stated dryly, "Pirates, if given enough time, can escape from duct tape."

Mary Margaret blinked and glanced at Hook, "Hook came after you?!" she turned back to Piper.

"Shot me," she gestured at her shoulder.

"And is waking up," Emma warned them, hovering over Hook to see him starting to wake.

"Hey, beautiful," Hook murmured, "Here, I didn't think you'd notice…"

Emma leaned over and pushed on his ribs, making him cry out in pain, "Your ribs are broken."

"Oh, that must be why it hurts when I laugh," he chuckled, "Did you see his face? His one true love, she'll be bleeding to death now. Cora enchanted the bullets to be magic proof," Piper's jaw tensed, well that answered that question, "She'll die! Just like Milah, crocodile! When you took her from me…"

"You won't be taking Pip from me this time," Gold glared, striding over and lunging for the pirate, digging his cane into Hook's neck.

"Gold, are you insane?!" Emma shouted.

"You truly have never met Rumpelstiltskin," Piper remarked, slowly making her way over, making it clear to them all that she was NOT about to tell him to leave Hook alone.

"You can't do that!" David rushed over, grabbing the man and pulling him back.

"I can if you let me go!" Gold growled.

"You really want to do that?" Emma tried, "You want to be a murderer."

"I'm no stranger to murder dearie," Gold spat.

"You want to murder someone in front of your true love?" David asked, hoping it would stop him, "You think she wants that?"

"Actually, yes," Piper said simply, "Kill him for all I care," before shaking her head, "You really cannot reconcile that I AM Rose Red and the Piper too, can you Charming?"

She could see it, even now, he was having difficulty seeing her as pure Snow White's cousin, and seeing her as the caretaker that had tortured him twice before. He truly had no idea she was one in the same till only days ago and it was getting muddled in his mind. She was either the cruel Piper that he didn't trust, or (in desperate times, to control Gold) the imp's true love and Snow White's dear cousin that he'd likely heard so much about.

But Piper sighed, "You might as well stop Rummy," she told him, "I know you, you wish ever injury to be one you have inflicted and it is no fun beating him when his ribs are broken by another. Best wait till he heals and break them yourself."

David was nearly green at that, hearing her talking so lightly about beating another person to death, but it got Gold to stop, stop long enough for him to really pull him to the side. He could see Mary Margaret though, see her close her eyes in a sort of resigned sorrow to hear her dear cousin say something like that, to know she had changed so completely from the girl she'd once been. She had spent days with the Piper, seen glimpses of Rose Red in her, but right now, with her shoulder bleeding and a man who had caused her and those she cared for so much pain, she was fully the Piper right now.

"Over here!" Mary Margaret called, opening her eyes to see an ambulance arriving, the paramedics rushing out, right for Hook as the one on the ground.

"No," David shook his head, "Take care of him," he pointed at the car.

"One of you over here," Gold snapped, moving back to Piper's side as one of the EMTs ran to inspect her arm.

Mary Margaret looked over at him in shock, "What?"

"There's someone in there," Emma said.

"Unless a car can magically drive itself," Piper muttered, that should have been obvious.

They turned and watched as the team managed to wedge the car door open and extract the man inside, a bruised man with little hair, getting him on a stretcher and hurrying for the ambulance, "Do you know this guy?" Emma glanced at them.

"I've never seen him before," Mary Margaret shook her head.

"That's because he drove into town," David remarked.

"From the outside?"

"No from Narnia," Piper huffed, before wincing, "My apologies Snow," she muttered.

Mary Margaret offered a soft smile and moved to her other side, "You never did well with pain. Let's get you in the ambulance too," she started to lead her and Gold over to it.

Emma sighed and rubbed her head, "Looks like the world just came to Storybrooke."

~8~

It had been complete chaos at the hospital as well, Hook and the driver had been rushed in on stretchers, the paramedics hurrying to see to them first, the rest of them following behind. Though, it was during all this, through the shouting of doctors and nurses and the beeping of instruments and calling orders for tests and reports and surgeries…that Mary Margaret finally saw it.

She was worried, yes, about the injured parties, if Hook died they'd get no answers from him, and the man in the car was just an utter threat but in such danger of dying and their injuries were severe, she knew that…but she couldn't focus on them, because her cousin was right there beside her, a white towel pressed to her shoulder, bleeding from a wound that magic couldn't heal and she was scared for her. But it was in that moment, in that terrible situation that she saw just why Rose…no, why PIPER, had chosen Rumpelstiltskin over returning to her family.

Piper had gotten very pale in the ambulance and, when she'd tried to step out of it, she'd nearly stumbled and fallen to the pavement and, despite David (who had driven her and Emma after them) lunging to catch her…it was Gold that had done it. The man, his limp worse in Storybrooke than in the Enchanted Forest, had, without a word, without a single complaint, without even a reprimand or threat to the ambulance crew, merely picked her up in his arms. He'd hooked his cane over his arm, gathered Piper into his, and walked without a single sign of how it must be straining his leg, towards the hospital. He hadn't even stopped to think about it, he'd just seen her stumble, seen her weak and lifted her into his arms. And the WAY he'd done it, it was so gentle and his hold so protective, his face so determined, she saw that he genuinely cared for her cousin.

She'd heard a soft conversation between them as well as the two on stretchers were shuffled about and rushed in. She'd been nearer to them than others, because it was HER family on the line with Piper, but she'd heard it. Gold had opened his mouth, but Piper put a hand on his arm around her, telling him quietly to calm down. He'd been about to order that they take care of Piper first, she realized, his power as the Dark One left him as a commending force and there was not a single person in that room that wouldn't have dropped Hook or the man, doctors or nurses be damned, and gone to help Piper instantly if he had, he was that much of a power and threat in the town. He had been willing to order them to focus on Piper, but she'd stopped him. Mary Margaret wouldn't lie and say that she wasn't cross with her cousin for doing so. She was shot, she was bleeding, and she was telling him to let others be treated before her. She almost agreed with Gold at that moment, had almost used her own power as the Queen to order someone see to her cousin…but moments later a wheelchair had been brought to her and she'd been taken off to get the bullet removed and stitched up.

She'd followed, of course she had, but so had Gold. Gold had gone instantly with her, no one about to cite that only family members should come to the Dark One, but she had trailed behind, curious. She had seen him heal Piper's burns, had seen how tender and caring he had been with her, but she wanted to know what he was like when NOT surrounded by people who would kill him if he showed any sign of harming her. As much as she trusted her cousin, as much as she knew she could handle herself…there was a small part of her head that wondered and feared if Rumpelstiltskin had been the reason she'd changed so much, if he'd influenced her or if he'd…tortured her, manipulated her, or did anything to her, enchanted her maybe, to make her so like himself. She wasn't sure what the man was like in private and she just…she wanted to be sure he was treating her properly, because the Piper she saw now was not the Rose Red that would tell her anything.

So she'd followed at a distance, far enough away where she hoped Piper wouldn't hear her song. She hoped that her song was so familiar to her that she would hardly notice it, and that the sounds of the others around her and the machines and the chaos would be enough to hide her. And even if it didn't, Gold wouldn't now she was there. So she followed them to a small back room, a door with a small window in it. She watched as Piper was placed on one of the examination tables, the nurse attending to her seeming to know what to do and not needing to call a doctor for her. She winced as she watched the nurse pull the bullet out of her shoulder, and felt a small smile appear on her face when she saw Gold had taken Piper's hand to hold as she too winced at the pain. She watched as Piper turned away from watching them stitch her up, Gold stepping closer to her to allow her to rest her head on his shoulders, burying her face into the crook of his neck. She saw how Gold's eyes remained fixed on the wound, could see, from the expression on his face, the hatred and murderous thoughts against Hook building for what he'd done. And she saw as Piper, without even looking up, seemed to know where his thoughts were going and shifted to press a kiss to his neck, just one single small kiss but it was enough. Gold blinked and closed his eyes, letting out a long breath and seeming to relax against her, his hand coming up to her back, running up and down it as he turned his head to rest against her own. She felt a tear come to her eye as she saw him press a kiss to her temple as the nurse finished up, telling them something, and ducked to the side so the nurse wouldn't see her when she left.

She watched, quiet, as Gold stepped closer, nearly blocking her view of her cousin, but seemed to be examining how the bandages wrapped around her shoulder were tightened, making sure they were secure. He held out his hand and she put a hand to her mouth to keep from squeaking, even still just slightly fearful of the Dark One doing magic around her cousin. But she calmed instantly when she saw he'd only magically poofed a sort of sling into being. She watched as Gold, with a care she genuinely didn't know he possessed, helped fit it to her cousin, helped settle her arm and secure it to her body, how he spoke to her with words that made her smile. When Gold stepped away, he was stopped by Piper reaching up to touch his cheek, speaking just as quietly to him, something that made him lift his hand to hers, lean into her touch, before he kissed her palm. Another poof of magic happened and a small bottle, a potion of some sort, was in his hand, being held out to her. She saw the sheer and utter trust that her cousin had in Gold when, without even questioning it, she reached out and took the bottle, drinking it. She could tell only after she'd drunk the entirety of it that it was a pain relieving potion given how her face relaxed and the tension she'd seen in her body seemed to drift out of her.

Gold reached up, brushing some hair from Piper's face, behind her ears, and leaned in to kiss her, making Mary Margaret step back, feeling as though she were intruding upon a very private moment. She let out a deep breath as she turned to walk away, back to the waiting room where David and Emma still were, her heart more at peace than it had been since remembering. Gold…he truly DID love her cousin, she saw it in every little gesture he did with her before, in every glance and touch and soft word spoken, he deeply loved Piper. And seeing him taking care of her like that, so easily, with such familiarity, it made her realize that…he'd done it before. He'd been doing it all along, even before the curse, he'd been keeping her cousin safe and protected and…and loved.

She smiled as she reached the waiting room, walking right up to David and giving him a loving kiss before hugging him, she could understand now. Rumpelstiltskin had loved Piper and she loved him. Thinking of her own love for David, she understood why Piper had picked the imp instead of family, she would have picked keeping David safe as well. Because true love…was hard to come by and when one had it, one protected it with all they had.

~8~

Piper, not one for lying about, even when injured…(oh THAT had been a rather interesting reveal to Mary Margaret that she'd been stabbed once before, she had NOT been pleased with that revelation that Gold had let slip in his own attempt to get her to return to their home and rest)…was standing beside Emma, at the side of Hook's bed, the man handcuffed to the side of it on his good hand, his hook absent from his other hand.

"Where's Cora?" Emma demanded, beginning the interrogation the moment he stirred enough to open his eyes.

"…what?" he mumbled, trying to sit up more, only to realize he'd been shackled to the side of the bed, "Again? You're really into this, aren't you?" he grinned, trying to laugh, only to wheeze in pain, "Damn, that hurts."

"Cracked ribs will do that to you," Piper remarked.

"Where's Cora?" Emma repeated.

Hook just smirked at her, "You look good, I must say. All 'where's Cora?' in a commanding voice. Chills. You though, love," his smirk turned darker as he eyed Piper, "Not so invincible now are you?"

Piper just stepped closer and, with her good arm pressed down on his ribs, "You talk or I push hard enough to puncture your lungs."

"Get off!" Hook shoved her arm away, "Bloody hell! I see it now, as sadistic as the Dark One, you're a perfect match aren't you?"

"Merely using all my resources to my advantage," she shook her head, "You hurt, I can MAKE you hurt even more."

"That's not good form at all love," he grimaced, shifting with a start as she stepped towards him again to try and press his ribs, "Alright, alright!" he glared, "I have no idea where Cora is. She has her own agenda. Let's talk about something I _am_ interested in," he turned to Emma, "My hook. May I have it back? Or is there another attachment you'd prefer? OW!" he winced as Piper slammed her fist against his already bruised cheek.

"You do NOT get to talk to her like that pirate," Piper nearly spat at him, actually succeeding in startling Emma with how vehement the venom in her words and how violent her reaction to his innuendo was, "You hold your tongue with words like that or I cut your tongue out," she narrowed her eyes, "Understood?"

"Aye aye captain," he sneered at her, though she could see he was genuinely frightened of her threat. Being the true love of the Dark One did come with some sort of advantage, besides her reputation as the Piper, others knew that when she made a threat, she'd follow through with it.

"You're awfully chipper for a guy who just failed to kill his enemy, then got hit by a car," Emma remarked, trying to cut through the tension.

"Well, my ribs may be broken," he rolled his head to look at her, "But…everything else is still intact. Which is more than can be said for other bad days I've had," he held up his stump of a hand quickly, seeing Piper tense, to show her that he was not making innuendo about other things, but really talking about his hand, "Plus, I did some quality damage to my foe."

"Hurting me?" Piper scoffed, "You truly believe you damaged him by harming me?"

"It hurt his heart," he smirked, "He killed my love. I know the feeling."

"And what?" she shook her head, "You shall not stop till you have killed me as well?" she smirked this time, "I am far harder to kill than you know."

"Yes, I'm getting that, thanks," he frowned at her, eyeing her critically.

"Keep smiling, buddy," Emma joked, "You're chained down, he's on his feet, immortal, has magic, and you hurt his girl. If I were to pick dead guy of the year? I'd pick you."

"And even if you HAD succeeded," Piper added as Emma moved to leave, "You would not have broken him, or made him vulnerable."

"I beg to differ," he sneered.

"Then beg all you like," she shrugged, "Had you killed me…you would have been obliterated and there would be nothing keeping this town safe from his rampage."

"And how do you know that?" he shot back at her, seeing Emma pause and listen in.

"I was stabbed once before," she told him, "The man who did it, his family, his friends, his entire town…destroyed within an hour. I was not dead then."

She gave him one more dangerous smirk before she turned and strode out of the room, Emma shifting in discomfort at the thought that Gold would actually go on a rampage if Piper had died making her uneasy as she followed.

~8~

Piper and Gold were in his shop, having left the hospital a short while ago. It had been an agreement between them, that she would be allowed to go interrogate Hook (all of them knowing that if Gold went to do it, the man would be dead) if she agreed to leave with Gold after that and rest. She'd caught him half interrogating a nurse himself, to get the full scope of her injuries and what she should and shouldn't be allowed to do, when her medicine would be needed, pain medication that she could take and so on. It had taken her more than a few minutes to drag him away and leave. They'd been stopped by Whale as they were going, the man requesting that Gold simply heal the injured man how as in true danger of dying from his injuries, but Gold had refused. She could tell that it had both shocked and hadn't shocked the small group gathered. It was like they had expected him to refuse the request, but hadn't expected him to refuse it so bluntly. She had tried to calm him down, knowing that most of his irritation and refusal was coming from his desire to get her home and rested and seeing Whale's distraction as just prolonging what he needed to do.

He'd been very clear that he didn't owe any of them anything, had stated that if it hadn't been for HER, he would likely not care at all about any of them. He'd reminded them not to dare try and make him think that he had some favor to give them when, in reality, quite a few of them still had deals outstanding with him and that they owed him. And then he'd mentioned that the driver, a Greg Mendell, had seen him conjuring fire in his hand, possibly, as he'd come speeding past when he'd been about to attack Hook. Before she could even get a word in, Gold had been leading her out.

She knew what would happen though. Whale, as amoral as he was, would probably offer to let the man die, but she knew Mary Margaret and David would refuse. That was always a small irritation she held with her cousin, especially in terms of their lessons on ruling and such. Snow White was never ever going to be prepared to do what was necessary and make the hard decisions when it came to ruling. She would try to save everyone rather than execute those who deserved it, such as with Regina ages ago. They'd sooner save the man and potentially condemn the town to some sort of danger and put the lives of the people at risk than let him die, something that didn't make a ruler sound. They had to be understanding, but firm, they had to think in the larger scope than just the life of one above another.

She smiled, looking up when Gold stepped into the back room, a teacup in hand with hot chocolate and cinnamon on it, giving it to her good hand to use. She took a single sip before she froze.

"What is it?" Gold whispered, seeing her expression.

"Cora…" she breathed.

He straightened, hearing the bell in the front of his shop ring and knew that it had to be her, Piper had to have heard her song. He leaned in, kissing her hair and whispering for her to stay there as he stepped out from the back room and to the counter of his shop, seeing Cora standing before it, a box in front of her.

"Hello, Rumple," Cora smiled.

Gold just gave her an unamused look, "Well, I expected this was just a matter of time. Had hoped you were dead, but alas, you appeared to others in the Enchanted Forest and word spreads quickly in a small town. But hey, disappointment's just part of life. I'm sure we can agree on that."

"Aw, the crocodile snaps at the little bird," she gave him a mocking pout, "And after I brought you a gift."

"Yeah, did you bring the antidote, too?" he glanced at the box, thinking about all the poisonous creatures that could be hidden in it.

"Oh, Rumple," she laughed, "It's a peace offering."

"And what do you want for this, uh…this peace offering?"

"My daughter," she straightened, "You were so clever to get her to lay the curse so you could come here. You don't need her anymore. Let me try to get her back and let us live."

Gold frowned at that, knowing that there was a part of him that wanted to agree, he knew what Piper had planned for Cora, what she'd had planned from the moment she'd learned that Cora had only been banished through a looking glass he'd given Regina and not killed, if he did this…he might be able to help advance her plans, "And what do I get for my troubles?"

"Your son," she nodded at the box, waiting till he pulled the lid off and lifted a white globe on a stand out of it, "You know what that is, of course."

"It'll find him," he breathed, staring at it, "If this one truly is it."

"Oh, darling, I have no reason to cheat you," she smirked.

"Anymore," he corrected.

She sighed, "I want you to find the one person in this universe who might still love you. After all, I'm doing the same thing."

He barely kept a smirk from forming, wondering if she either didn't know that Piper was his true love or just doubted it, either way, it was going to be her downfall in the end, "Do you have any spells to return memories?"

"I only know what you taught me…Master," she added with a smile, "So, will you accept my offer of a truce?"

"Truce," he held out a hand to her, allowing her to shake on the deal, the woman none the wiser that it wasn't HIM that she needed a truce from, HE would not be the one to fear.

"Let's seal it like we used to," Cora smirked, leaning in, about to kiss him…but he pulled back.

"Let's not and say we did dearie," he gestured to the front door, "Go find you girl, leave me to my boy."

Cora's eyes narrowed at his dismissal but she demurely nodded her head and turned to leave the shop. It wasn't till she was out of sight of the building that he heard Piper step beside him and wind her arm around him, him turning in her arms to hug her back.

"I can find him now Pip," he breathed, "I can find my boy."

She smiled, "Then find him," she nodded to the globe, "If it works, we leave as soon as we can. If not…your truce is null and you can kill Cora."

"I think I should leave that to you dearie," he grinned, pulling back, "She's part of your revenge isn't she?"

"I would give up my revenge for you to have yours," she told him, "She would have injured you more directly than she has me in this."

"Well then," he turned to the globe, "Let's find out."

He turned to the globe and pricked his finger on the top of the stand, letting a drop of his blood fall onto the white of the globe. They watched as the globe began to glow and rotate, spinning around, a small red map starting to form of this realm, narrowing down to one single point.

"Bae…" he breathed, seeing that that was where his boy was.

Piper leaned in slightly, examining the map and smiled, "New York."

~8~

Piper and gold stood outside the door to Mary Margaret's apartment, Piper knocking on the door, knowing that if she let Gold do it he'd barge right in with his magic. They'd gotten word that the family was back in the apartment after finding out that the man, Greg, had survived. They were all relieved and eating breakfast now and she was almost sorry that she had to interrupt it, but Gold was so excited and anxious and she knew, if anyone could understand the need to get back to family, it would be the people on the other side of the door.

It opened and Emma was there, about to greet them, but Gold strode in, making her roll her eyes, "Gold. We've all had a long night…"

"Emma," Piper shook her head, "This is important."

"You remember that favor you owe me, Miss Swan?" Gold turned to her.

"Yeah…" Emma frowned.

"I'm cashing it in."

"It's not a good…"

"Time?" Piper finished for her, "We know."

"You do honor your agreements, don't you?" Gold continued, slightly impatiently, "I need to find someone, so we're leaving today. Pack your bag."

"What?" Emma blinked.

"Leaving?" Mary Margaret stood.

"Where?" Henry frowned.

"Can't Piper just go with you?" David spoke up.

"I am," Piper rolled her eyes, "And we would not be asking Emma along if I had full use of both my arms," she gestured to her sling. Rummy believes we need someone else to come with us to help and Emma is the only one who can cross the town lines now that August has disappeared."

"Wait," Emma shook her head, "Find someone? Who?"

"Baelfire," Piper stated.

"My son," Gold explained, "It has to be today, because every minute I'm here, is a minute closer to me killing Hook for harming Pip. So it's really best for all concerned if I leave. And if I leave, Pip comes with me. And if she comes with me I want someone there with me to help protect her," he ignored Mary Margaret's twitch of a smile at that, "And you're going to come with us."

"Be ready by noon," Piper offered, before turning to get Gold out of the apartment, there was still just a handful of things that had to be dealt with, but they would be dealt with quickly. She knew Gold would rather her, at this point and in her condition, to remain in Storybrooke and safe, but…this was Baelfire, this was his SON.

She was not going to miss this chance to help him be reunited.

A/N: Poor Piper :( But awww, Gold :') I really wanted that moment of Mary Margaret just observing them and seeing the little things in the Dark Rose relationship :)

Just wanted to say thank you all for your reviews, they made me smile so much ^-^

Some notes on reviews...

Aww thanks :) I wish I could turn into The Curator, I'm starting to think that would have been my Time Lady title if I was ever one lol :)

I hope I get a museum job too :) Or the adjunct professor spots, I would love to be a professor too :') But thank you! :)


	24. Arden

Arden

"I cannot fathom why you are so focused on this Rummy," Piper remarked as she wandered through the library of the Dark Castle, a stack of books in her arms as she moved to place them back in their proper places.

She wasn't much a fan of books or stories growing up, she didn't really care if the library fell to disarray and an utter disaster area. But, once she had exhausted her long list of chores, there was little else to occupy her time but organizing the library. It gave her something to do but she knew that it irritated Rumpelstiltskin quite a good deal that she was up and about and lugging books in her arms and bending and stretching to set them in place. He'd finally given her leave to get out of bed and stretch her legs after an incident involving a stabbing. She'd been cooped up on bed rest and she just wanted to at least walk through the castle. She had been surprised to find that there wasn't actually much that needed to be done around it by way of cleaning save some dusting. It appeared Rumpelstiltskin truly had stayed at her side for the majority of her time in his room. There were no messes to be picked up, no glass shattered, no blood to scrub off the floors, just some dust that proved he wasn't mucking the place up in other rooms.

But still, the library was vast and it would take her a year just in her spare time to set it right, but that was fine with her, it was like a back up chore, something she could do when there was nothing else left. And she was sure Rumpelstiltskin would appreciate that he'd be able to find all his treasured books when he wanted them because they'd be in order finally. She had agreed to his terms that she not leave the castle till she was entirely healed, but there was something to be said of the fact that she was likely going to be stuck in the castle for many more days till he deemed her well enough to go outside. She was quite certain that it would lead to her half-demanding she be let out of the castle by that point. While she loved being inside it with him, there was only so much she could stand in terms of being cooped up inside and it had already been weeks since she'd been stabbed.

"It is important to me Pip that I know," Rumpelstiltskin stated, standing behind her with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against a desk as he watched her work. He'd tried to take her books from her and she'd slapped his hands away, playfully though, but it had made him a little more at ease to see her fire back, to know that she was brave enough to 'fight back' against the Dark One.

She subtly shook her head at that as she eyed the book in her hand, looking at the subject and author. She'd managed to sort the room by section, by history books and magic books and fictional books among others. She headed for the history section with it clutched in her hand. She set the other books down on an empty shelf of the section and attempted to reach up to the spot she needed, only to wince and pull back, her free hand moving to her stomach only to find that there was another hand there already.

Rumpelstiltskin was at her side in an instant the moment he saw her flinch, his hand resting over her stomach, soothing the sting she'd felt with no sort of magic other than his mere touch. She let out a breath and turned, resting her head to his arm for a moment, taking comfort in the fact he felt comfortable allowing her to do such a move and felt a small smile creep its way onto her face at how his thumb was lightly stroking her stomach as though trying to sooth it more. She let out a soft breath at that, it helped more than he even realized, even without magic.

"And this, Pip," he murmured in her ear, "Is why it is so important to me," he told her, shifting away slightly to touch her cheek with his free hand, "They hurt you."

"Many people have harmed me in the past Rummy, this is just the most recent."

"They never should have gotten the chance to," he nearly growled that out, "No one should have ever harmed you."

And he would make damn well sure no one, not a single person, would ever harm her again or they would have to face HIM down.

"Rummy…" she sighed.

But he should his head, "You don't understand Pip."

"Then make me," she looked up at him, "You want me to tell you who stabbed me, but what purpose would it serve to do so?" she shook her head, "It is in the past, I will see to it myself that they are properly dealt with, you have no need to burden yourself with harms that do not come from the queen. And if you want me to tell you, you must explain to me why it is so imperative that you know."

"Because they almost took you from me Piper!" he shouted, before taking a breath to calm himself.

He knew she wouldn't care if he shouted at her, she would understand his rage bubbling, she was one of the few that never even so much as flinched when he raised his voice, it was like she knew he'd never actually lash out at HER. He knew that she was well aware of that, that he wouldn't harm her. He'd sworn on magic to protect her, yes, protect her from the queen but his mind was already spinning with loopholes that would allow him to protect her from more than just her. She had to be ALIVE for him to protect her from Regina, she had to be there, alive and well, for him to keep up his end of the deal. That had to mean that he had a right to protect her from other injuries, from others that would try to harm her.

It was a stretch even if he told her that, because that clearly wasn't the reason he was so determined to know what had happened to her, to know where she'd gone and who she'd dealt with and the events surrounding what had led to the stabbing. It was because he cared for her, he loved her truly and deeply and the thought of her being harmed or injured, even so much as a scratch on her fingertip was enough to set him off and swear revenge.

He knew he was likely making a bigger deal of this than she'd want but…he wasn't used to this feeling though.

He'd never…he'd never felt this powerfully for anyone before. He'd never loved someone like this. Milah he had grown to love but she had changed so suddenly that it was almost like he'd only fooled himself into thinking he loved her because she was carrying his son. He hadn't gone to get her from Hook because he wanted her back, by then he already knew she was emotionally gone from him. He'd gone because of Baelfire, because his son needed his mother, it was his excuse for everything. He knew, deep in his heart, he likely would have let Milah stay with Hook and not confronted the pirate at all if it hadn't been for Bae and for others looking at him like he was being a weak coward for not trying to rescue his wife. Even Cora, the Queen's mother, was more that he could taste her darkness and her power, she wanted people on their knees and trembling before her and he had found that appealing. But…she had needed to tear out her own heart in order to truly harm someone.

He'd seen Piper make people bleed out with a simple pipe and her heart beating away in her chest. He'd seen her darkness, he'd seen her power, and…he'd seen her love as well. He truly felt a connection to her unlike the ones he'd felt for women in the past. His wife was his wife because she'd fallen with his child, Cora had been a potential means to an end, a way for him to manipulate the destinies of others to get to Regina, to get to a child he could manipulate and raise to cast the Dark Curse he was planning. But Piper…she was different. He had never had to manipulate her into helping him with a deal or with killing another human being. She did it willingly if the reason behind it was just enough (which didn't mean much in the end).

He had fallen in love with all aspects of her and the thought of anyone harming her made his blood boil with rage. She was his Piper, his Pip, his greatest treasure, and he was going to protect her come hell or high water.

He looked at her, seeing her waiting for his continued response, the girl sensing he wasn't done speaking, and sighed, "You were stabbed Piper," he repeated the events, "You fell into my arms, your blood was on my hands, I failed to protect you and I will not have that happen. I wish to know how it happened and where so that it never occurs again. I…" he looked at her, moving both his hands to cup her cheeks, "I cannot lose you Piper. I will not."

She looked into his eyes and let out a soft breath, nodding, "Arden," she spoke, recalling the port city about 2 miles away, "The deal was in Arden. I was meeting the town's leader, their mayor, to try and control the spider population, they were growing more frequent and poisonous. I managed to lure the spiders to the waters, where they drowned themselves, and when I went to collect payment, one of the townsmen, one they had hired before me to try and rid them of spiders, stole the money pouch. When I demanded it, he shoved it to my stomach and I realized that he had hidden a dagger in it so that I would not think to stop him. When the others realized I'd been harmed…they appeared to think that they could throw me out of the town's borders and leave me to die. I came back to you, of course, and you know the rest."

He nodded, tugging her gently to him, "Thank you Pip."

But a small smirk grew on his face, now he knew exactly what to do.

~8~

The town of Arden was full of light and light as a small cloaked figure walked along the streets of it one night. There were lights and candles in what seemed like every window, men and women and children still awake despite it being the dead of night, all of them appeared to be celebrating something. He wasn't sure what it could be though, there hadn't been a good fishing spell in quite a while, perhaps they were just celebrating the spiders being removed.

The figure moved to the center of town and stopped, looking around at the various people in different buildings all laughing. He stopped when he spotted a tavern of sorts, a group of rowdy men within and nodded to himself, it would be the best place to find out the two things he was interested in. The first being what the cause for all the celebration was, and the second, where the local spider killer was.

He made his way into the tavern, moving to sit in a darkened corner where he would be noticed, likely only by the serving wenches, but invisible to all others. He had been right as, a moment later a woman came to see if he wanted anything but he waved her away. Everyone seemed in such good spirits that the woman didn't even bother to try and kick him out for not ordering anything to drink or eat and just continued to let him sit there instead. That was exactly what he wanted, from there he could listen to their cheers and drunken singing, but he didn't know what they were cheering for…till a man stepped into the tavern with another man at his side.

The first man was thin, gangly even, with a horrendous moustache and some sort of wart on his chin. He had no hair on the top of his head but around the sides of it and his teeth that he could see from the wide grin he gave upon being hailed a hero in entering the tavern revealed crooked teeth that were yellow and stained. He had a baggy white tunic on, an open orange vest, and brown trousers that were too short for him. He gave a mocking bow as the man beside him, better dressed, in black, older with gray hair yet a full head of it, and a little more portly around the middle, clapped him on the back.

"Three cheers for the Slayer of the Pied Piper!" a man in the crowd called.

The hands of the figure clenched into fists at that, at how the thin man waved at the crowd as they cheered. The man beside him, the mayor he could recognize now, seemed a bit uneasy about that and wandered off away from the man who was being pulled into the crowd and patted on the back, given a tankard of ale for his victory.

"The Slayer of the Pied Piper?" he muttered the moment the mayor was close enough to hear him.

The old man turned, hearing the confusion in his voice and gave a small smile before he stepped closer and slid into a stool on the other side of the figure's table, "Aye, he does appear to be that."

"You made a deal with the Pied Piper?" he continued.

The mayor sighed and nodded, "To remove the spiders when Archibald," he nodded at the man now propped on the shoulders of two other men, "Failed to stop the spiders in our town from spreading."

"I take it the Piper was successful?"

"Aye," the mayor nodded again, "Archibald was not pleased. He…managed to stab the wretch."

The figure pulled his hands beneath the table at that word, at how they were speaking of the Piper, "And the Piper died?"

"Seems she might have," the mayor actually grinned at that, "We threw her out of town, bleeding from the gut and left her for the animals. She vowed revenge but we've seen hide nor hair from her in a month," he let out an easy breath at that, his relief clear, "We took it to mean she's gone. There's been no reports of any other deals recently and there's _always_ tales. Seems we might have been the ones to finally end her."

"I do believe you came close," the figure said, and the mayor stiffened at that.

The figure stood, an aura surrounding him that soon had the entire room starting to fall quiet, though a scream erupted when Archibald went flying off the men's shoulders, dragged by some invisible force, right to the figure as he stepped away from the table, his neck ending up in the figure's hand. The hood of the cloak fell away to reveal none other than Rumpelstiltskin, the Dark One, in the flesh.

"I hear you are the sorry excuse for a man that stabbed the Pied Piper," he sneered at the man, the room rushing away from him as he lifted the man up by the neck, only slightly strangling him, enjoying watching the man's feet dangle and kick and his hands claw at the one around his neck, "I'm afraid to say, dearie, that you've harmed someone under MY protection," the final words came out more like a growl as he threw the man to the side, sending him flying through the wall of the tavern and out into the middle of the street.

The sound of the wall shattering seemed to be enough for the others in surrounding buildings to come rushing out to see what was wrong.

"Dark One please!" the mayor begged.

But Rumpelstiltskin rounded on him and clenched his fist, the man gripping his throat as his air was cut off, holding onto it till the man's eyes rolled back and he sunk to the ground. People tried to flee but he threw his hands out, sticking their fee to the cobblestone roads.

He turned slowly and stalked over to the man on the ground, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him closer, "You were the one to stab her through the gut, weren't you?" he demanded, "You were the one to try and break her deal? You were the one who tried to KILL HER! To take her FROM ME?!"

The man's eyes were wide as he shook his head, trying to deny it, but knowing it was too late, knowing that the Dark One had been in the tavern, he'd heard it all, he KNEW the truth, but still he tried.

"Well, sorry dearie," he smirked, "But the Piper is MINE, she is under MY protection, and I will not have anyone harm her," he reached into his chest and pulled out the man's heart, holding it up before him, staring him right in the eye as he squeezed it, enjoying the sight of agony the man was in, enjoying having him gasping in pain and sinking to the ground as his heart was crushed into ashes before him.

He stood straighter, brushing his hands together, eyeing them for a moment before he shrugged, and looked around at the people that had gathered around him. He tsked as he looked upon them, before starting to walk in a small circle around the edges of the gathering, "Now…" he stopped and clapped his hands, "Which of you were the ones to throw her out of town, bleeding and defenseless?"

Everyone was silent.

He rolled his eyes, he was usually a fan of fear induced silence, but he wanted answers and he wanted them NOW, "Oh come now," he muttered, "It's not like I've got your tongues. Ooh," he grinned slowly, "I could have," he held out his hand and a small lump of pink appeared in it, one of the men from the tavern, the one who had made the first cheer, sunk to his knees, clutching at his mouth and they all knew he was the one that the Dark One had targeted and taken the tongue from, "Now, dearies, I ask you again, which of you threw the Piper out of this town?"

People started shaking their heads, some cried, others seemed to try and claw their way out of his magic, but he wouldn't release them, not them, not even the entire town. He would let a single one of them go till he had his answers.

"No one?" he pouted, "No one here touched a single golden hair on her head then?" he shook his head, "You can't really expect me to think she just skipped out of here on her own, can you? Pip doesn't skip," he added, using the affectionate version of her name, allowing all the people there a hint of his true anger, and the true depth of his rage.

He smirked as he saw the realization dawn in some of their eyes, that Piper wasn't just a partner to him, but that she was someone he cherished and loved and THEY had harmed her and now…they were going to pay if they didn't speak up.

"Well then," he put a finger to his chin, "This does pose a pretty problem, doesn't it?" he dropped his hand, "For YOU."

He looked around at the people gathered, but he could see it in their eyes, in their expressions, none of them were going to talk, none would say a word. How sweet, they were trying to defend each other, thinking he'd come there only for the ones who harmed her, thinking that he wouldn't slaughter all of them because…well, you can't just kill us all can you?

"Pity," he murmured, "I was hoping to return home to Pip _without_ blood on my clothes for once," he sighed, ignoring how people were suddenly shouting out names, never the same name though, "Oh well."

And he lifted his hand, summoning his power…

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin sat at his spinning wheel, a smile on his face that hadn't left it for quite a while, a few weeks really. At first Piper had been suspicious of it, he knew, but she didn't ask and he didn't tell. Oh he asked her all the time what put a smile on her face, he wanted to know, he wanted to be able to keep putting smiles on her face and knowing what made her smile was a part of that. But she never really asked him. Mostly because there were only five things that put a smile on his face. Spinning, Baelfire, deals going his way, getting payment for a deal (in a variety of ways), and her. She was content to know that she could put a smile on his face merely by being in the same room as him and she had learned that his thoughts were slightly more private than her own, having been around centuries longer with only his thoughts to him.

But he was there, grinning away, and only looked up when he heard the door open and saw Piper enter. He'd known she was safe on this venture out of the castle to collect straw. The last time hadn't ended well with her being put under the sleeping curse, but he'd enchanted a mirror that hovered before him as he spun so he could watch her journey himself and be ready to appear there via magic in an instant. The journey had been normal enough this time though, she'd walked to the village, she'd gathered straw, she'd seemed to pause at one point, listening to something others were saying before she took the straw and began her trek back. He'd sent the mirror away when she'd entered the protective wards of the castle grounds, confident she was safe and fine for the moment and would make it back to him in one piece.

Piper walked right up to him, a small look on her face as she placed the straw down before him, "The village is abuzz."

"Oh?" he reached down to take a handful of straw, placing it on his lap to start spinning it into gold nearly instantly, "About what?"

"An interesting rumor has come about," she crossed her arms, "Apparently, Arden is no more."

"Is it?" he hummed, the corner of his lips twitching up in amusement and pleasure.

"It has been wiped clean," she nodded, "The village was leveled, burned to the ground, and the people of it, all of them, appear to have been killed…though there was only one man that had his heart ripped out and crushed…well, him and his family seemed to have suffered the same fate."

"And how is it that this is known?" he wondered, "If all the people of the town were dead?"

"One man, only one, was spared," she remarked, "It appears the perpetrator thought to use this man to spread word of what happened to Arden along with a very clear message that he is to deliver to all villages in the area."

"And what message is that?" he glanced up at her.

"Harm the Piper and the payment shall be dealt to the Dark One," she gave him a look, "You went to Arden and destroyed it because of what that gangly man did to me."

It wasn't a question, it didn't have to be, it was all too obvious from how the town had been destroyed, how the people had been massacred, and from the grin on his face and his too-innocent questions that it had been his doing.

"I did," he nodded, answering even though it wasn't an inquiry, "I told you Pip, I will take care of you and I will protect you and now," he looked up at her, "No one in all the kingdoms will harm you."

She let out a small breath, "You are taking away my advantage you know," she told him.

He frowned at that, "I'm sorry?"

"You love to spread fear in the hearts of men," she nearly rolled her eyes, "Make them fear you, make it so they never turn down or back out of a deal. I had hoped to avoid that reputation from you preceding me to towns."

"Why?" he frowned, unsure of where that was coming from.

He knew that Piper was more than capable of defending herself, for the most part (he was going to have to teach her some tricks before he actually let her go on a deal of her own again alone…if he'd ever let her go alone) but he was trying to help. He knew Piper was a woman of action more than words. Oh there was a power in words but there was also a notion that actions spoke louder than them. He had hoped, in doing what he had, in making the statement he did, that he would prove to her that she was safe with him, that she was going to be protected from all harms. He just couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt like she had been.

He didn't think he could survive losing her like that.

He'd just wanted to make sure that she would be well when she had deals to strike but now it was appearing that he had overstepped his bounds and had done something to upset her. But…she didn't LOOK upset, or even really sound upset at the moment, she seemed almost exasperated and a little let down, as though something had been taken from her in him doing this.

She gave him a small smile before she made her way over to him, shifting the basket of straw aside to sit beside him. She leaned over, resting her arms on his legs, her arms crossed so her chin was resting on them, and looked up at him, "I had rather hoped the fear of ME would be enough," she told him, "Now I must inspire more fear than even the Dark One."

He let out a soft chuckle at that, though he was relieved to know she wasn't upset with what he'd done. He understood, actually, he rather did. When he had been a mere mortal, fear was something he knew quite well. When he'd become the Dark One, the only thing he could do to get people's respect, the respect they would never have given the man he'd been, was to use fear, to scare them and threaten them till they realized he was not Hobblefoot or Spindlespokes or any other name they'd called him. He'd used fear to make himself more powerful, more of a threat, to make others wary of him and cautious and to never ever defy him.

After Hamelin, the same could be said for the Piper. Hardly anyone double crossed her because of that town and the rumors and whispers that spread from it. She used that fear, she used that power, to keep others from trying to harm her. The man from the tavern, Archibald, had been a fool, had been a mistake and had been someone that, he was quite sure, she would have made a public display of torturing and killing slowly to make even more whispers so no one dared attack her again. It was a process, he knew, building up that fear. Hamelin had gotten her to the point where hardly anyone dared try to back out of her bargains, Arden could have gotten her to the point where no one dared attack her.

But he had stepped in and, he realized now, he'd ruined her fun.

"Well just think Pip," he leaned in, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, "They'll be even more fearful now with the threat of me looming over them and," he grinned, straightening, his hand going to her cheek to lift her face to his, "It'll mean you get to have even more fun trying to make them more frightened of you than me."

She grinned at that, "I do so love a challenge."

He let out a chuckle and drew her face to him, Piper moving onto her knees and rising to meet him closer, kissing him deeply for quite a long while before she pulled away, resting her forehead to his.

"Thank you," she breathed to him, her eyes fluttering open to look at him, "For caring," it really did touch her heart to know that he loved her enough to destroy a small town for a mere flesh wound.

"You never have to thank me for that," he stroked her cheek, "I will love you until my dying breath Pip."

She smiled and leaned in again, kissing him once more, she would love him as well, to the end of time.

A/N: I'm sorry this was delayed :( I'd hoped to be up and posting at the normal times by now, but yesterday I was made aware of another (13th now) plagiarism :( Or it might be a partial plagiarism? I'm really not sure what to define it as -sigh- But it always takes me a few hours to gather evidence, make my tumblr post, put the words and thoughts in order to describe it and then after it's all out in the open it takes me a few hours to be able to get into writing/editing again :( A general idea of what happened was that I'd been contacted in PM by someone about posting my stories in entirety on another site, I was given their word that they wouldn't touch my stories without my consent. I hadn't been able to respond instantly, and then I found out that the person, 4 days later, began to post my stories on the site they mentioned, in entirety, and without my consent :( I reported the stories, they were removed, but it just really upset me because I thought the stories would be safe even without a response because I hadn't responded with consent, and then it happened anyway :(

But I hope you liked this chapter. We'll definitely be seeing Rumple getting revenge for other injuries done to Piper throughout the series ;)

Some notes on reviews...

I don't think it's bad with the Piper/Hook interactions ;) Piper is sort of like Emma in it, she gets frustrated with Hook's innuendo and other comments but, unlike Emma, she will physically hurt/silence him for it :) That happens to me sort of in reverse, I can't watch any movies/shows with the actresses that I see being close to the OC without going 'Piper why are you a vampire!?' lol :)

Piper 'tortured' David twice in the Enchanted Forest, but more as a way to stop him attacking her and Rumple :) There was when Charming came to the castle to demand where Snow was so he could get her to remember him, and Piper met him instead, she used her music to semi-cripple him and agonize him so she could take his weapon away. Similarly when Snow bit the apple and Charming was lost in the forest, she used her magic to 'torture' him into submission so he wouldn't attack them :( Sort of a very extreme form of self-defense :) Oh that family tree is quite large and crazy lol :) I can say for my Hook/OC it gets a bit more crazy too lol :) I think Gold knew that Bae was alive because he meets a Seer at one point who told him he'd succeed in finding his son again so he assumed that he'd meet Bae still alive, just not sure how old he'd be at that point :)


	25. Tiny

Tiny

"Everything shall be well, Rummy," Piper remarked as she and Gold made their way to the apartment Mary Margaret, Emma, David, and Henry had come to share, "We know where Baelfire is, and Emma is an expert at finding people who are hidden, it was her job before she came to Storybrooke. We shall find him and you will be together again."

"I hope so Pip," he muttered, trying to appear calm if anxious to go.

But she knew him better than that, she knew he was more anxious with worry as to how Baelfire would react to him, what he'd do. He was anxious because he wasn't sure if Bae was hiding from him or if he was waiting for him. And he was anxious because they had to hurry. They both doubted that his magic would work outside the town lines, they wouldn't be able to bring the globe with them to track down Bae once more after they'd crossed it. If Bae was hiding from him and on the move, they might get there and he'd be gone and they couldn't risk that.

Gold stepped up to the door to the apartment, about to bang on it, when she reached out and turned him, tugging lightly on his arm with her good hand and moved onto her toes to kiss him, "We WILL find him," she whispered as she pulled away, touching his cheek lightly with a smile.

He took a deep breath and nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead for helping him calm down slightly before he turned to the door and knocked at a less pounding speed. The door opened nearly instantly anyway, Emma in the doorway.

"Ready to go, Miss Swan?" he asked.

"Almost," Emma sighed, stepping away to allow them entry, only to see Henry stepping out of a room with a suitcase of his own and a coat on his arm.

"Do you think we'll be cold where we're going, or warm?" Henry looked at them.

"I think layers are always a good idea," Emma remarked.

"At this time of year, New York is relatively cool," Piper added, "A lighter jacket would be just fine if you wish to switch."

Gold, however, wasn't quite as accepting of the new addition of Henry coming, "I thought the terms of our agreement were quite clear. _You_ owe me a favor, you alone."

"I'm not leaving Henry here with Cora lurking about," Emma defended, "So either we both go, or we both stay."

Gold grit his teeth but Piper put a hand on his arm, "I can order another ticket with no issue Rummy," she told him, pulling out her phone to do just that, rather glad that she had racked up so many frequent flyer miles over the last 3 decades. Travelling the world with August in search of Emma and Baelfire and Storybrooke had given them both plenty of worldly experience in terms of travel.

"Wait," Emma frowned as Mary Margaret entered to help Henry put on a lighter jacket, "We're flying?"

"Unless you wish to drive the extra hours to New York," Piper glanced up, "Consider what you would wish to do Emma. Spend 8 hours in a small car with the Dark One, or spend 1 hour in a plane?"

"Plane it is," Emma muttered.

"Don't worry," Gold added, "I'm covering expenses. Even the new ones," he glanced at Henry.

"You were about to suggest he come and you know it Rummy," Piper called, tapping away at her phone, "Do not try to pretend that you are upset he shall be joining us."

"Alright, Gold," David called, coming down the stairs to join them, making Gold roll his eyes at how the whole family just had to get involved, he was starting to think there was another reason besides love of him that Piper had chosen to stay with him for instead of return to Snow White…if it would have been like this in the Enchanted Forest, he couldn't blame her, "You're going out there with my family. Just know, if anything happens to them…"

"Then you'll what?" Gold cut in, "Cross the town line? And David Nolan will hunt me down in his animal rescue van?"

"I'll be devastated," David finished, "This isn't a threat. It's a request. Take care of them."

"You have no need to worry Charming," Piper looked up, slipping her phone back into her pocket, the ticket all sorted, "If you have forgotten, Rummy is setting out with MY family as well. I will not let anything happen to Emma or Henry, just as I did in the Enchanted Forest for Emma, and just as Rummy and I did for Henry before the curse broke."

"I promise no harm will come to your family," Gold offered, "After all, we have a deal."

"And I will be there as well," Piper nodded, "My music might be weaker across the line, but it IS still there."

"Yeah," David scoffed under his breath, "And you have only one hand to play with."

She smirked dangerously at that, "I only need one hand to play my pipes, and even then I could cause equal damage with just my voice…or would you care for another demonstration?"

Mary Margaret frowned and glanced between them, "Wait…_another_ demonstration? You…KNOW each other?" the way Piper was speaking made her feel like David had already had run ins with her.

"Oh yes," Piper nodded, "Your husband has a high tolerance for pain Snow."

"David…" Mary Margaret turned to him, alarmed.

"I met her when I went to the Dark One for help to save you," he glanced at his wife, "She was always there. And she wasn't always pleasant," he shot her a look.

"Neither were you and how you waved your pointy sword at me and threatened me," Piper countered, "You attack me, I defend myself in the only way I can, my music. Whichever tune I choose to use against you is up to my mood for the day. Crippling pain is easiest to conjure when I am being attacked. Now, would you care for another demonstration?"

"And risk you sending me to Whale, no," David answered.

"For a man of no magic, he does good work," Piper remarked, a small smirk coming to her face, "I cannot fathom why he irritates you so."

"He slept with my wife!" David shouted, making Mary Margaret flush and look away and Emma covering Henry's ears.

"And you slept with your wife too," Piper countered, nearly laughing at his confused expression on how that could possibly be an argument, "Kathryn Nolan, was her name yes? I DO recall Mary Margaret mentioning to me that the woman thought she was pregnant once…that WOULD imply you had relations of that sort with her at one point, would it not?"

"We were cursed!" he defended, as though just recalling that.

"That was what I said!" Mary Margaret huffed.

"So you both slept with someone that was not your actual spouse, can you move on please?" she rolled her eyes, "Honestly, the way you two get on Snow will be having a second baby and Whale will be the only one here to deliver it. You had best work out your issues with him do, do you not think so?"

"As much as I enjoy watching you antagonize him Pip," Gold cut in, glancing at his watch, "We have a plane to catch."

Piper nodded and looked at Mary Margaret, "We shall call you before we take off, after we land, and when we find Bae."

"Good luck," Mary Margaret smiled at them, hugging them all except Gold as they turned to go. She paused in shutting the door when she saw Piper glance back at David and then wink at her and started to smile…it was a small issue that she'd had with David since the curse broke, how she'd slept with Whale as a one night stand after he'd gone back to Kathryn. Now though, Piper had pointed out the very same thing in HIM and he couldn't hold onto his anger about it without being a hypocrite. Her cousin…she was always trying to help even if her methods were very harsh at times. She did that, brought up your faults, made you defend them out loud so you could hear how outrageous they were and then point out the flaws in it.

She gave Piper a nod for that before she turned to shut the door, Piper nodding back as she moved to follow Gold, Emma, and Henry down the stairs and to his old car. They all got in, placing the suitcases in the trunk after Piper pulled out Baelfire's old shawl, turning to loop it around Gold's neck like a scarf. They piled in the car, Gold driving, and headed for the town line.

"So…where are we going exactly?" Henry asked as he and Emma took the back seat.

"Logan International Airport," Piper stated.

"I think he meant after that," Emma remarked with a roll of her eyes.

"Let's just take things one step at a time, shall we?" Gold muttered.

Emma eyed him through the rearview mirror, "You really think that shawl's going to work?"

"Well, if it doesn't, and I revert to my cursed self, we're all going to have some problems."

Piper gave him a small smile and reached out to hold his hand as they neared the 'Leaving Storybrooke' sign, "It will work," she told them reassuringly.

Still, Gold took a deep breath and squeezed her hand as they drove past the sign, a wave of magic passing over Gold, just as it had when he first stepped past the town line on his first attempt.

"…so?" Emma frowned when nothing else was said.

"My name is Rumpelstiltskin," Gold stated, "My true love is the Pied Piper," he glanced at her and smiled, "And we're going find my son."

~8~

Meanwhile in Storybrooke, David, Leroy, Hook, and Mary Margaret were exploring Hook's ship, having released the pirate only to bring them there and interrogate him more about what his plans with Cora were and where Cora might be. The ship could possibly hold some sort of clue as to where she'd gone. Unfortunately, while they hadn't found Cora…they found someone else, Anton the Giant according to Hook.

Though he wasn't quite so giant sized, but rather small and locked in a cage on the ship.

"So, Cora used magic to make him travel-sized?" Leroy frowned.

"Whatever she intends to do with him, it's important," Hook nodded.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what she intends," David turned to him with a glare, "You're holding out."

"Well, either have your lovely wife torture it out of me, which I promise will be fun for both…"

David lunged forward and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against a wall, "Why don't you and I have some fun?"

Hook let out a breath, "Just like the Piper you are," he muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She has a tendency to get violent when I make similar remarks to your daughter," Hook smirked, trying to goad him into a fight with mentioning he made crude remarks to Emma as well…

But David looked almost confused by the fact that Piper took Hook's words as offensively as he was when it came to Mary Margaret and Emma.

"Whether you like her or not David," Mary Margaret called, "Rose loves her family. She really will protect Emma, from anything, physical, emotional, or verbal."

David glanced at Mary Margaret for that, he'd been so focused on the fact that she was the Dark One's consort or whatever she was that he hadn't been able to see her as the lost Rose Red, as Snow White's family. And while he knew that she had protected both Mary Margaret and Emma in the Enchanted Forest…hearing that she'd protected Emma even from Hook's vulgar remarks…he could see a tiny bit of family in her now.

"Look I don't know what she's planning," Hook rolled his eyes, pulling himself out of David's grip, "Why don't you wake the bloody giant and ask him yourself?" he pulled a key out of his pocket and held it up to them.

Mary Margaret stepped forward, knowing that if Piper knew the Giant, perhaps it would be best if someone from her family opened the cage. She took the key and turned to the small metal contraption, opening the door before she gently touched the giant on the shoulder to wake him, startling him in the process, "Hey," she smiled, "It's alright. You're safe now," she reached out to help him crawl out of the cage, "You're name's Anton right?"

"Yes," Anton frowned, "How did you…" but then he spotted Hook and glared, "Where's that witch?!"

"She's gone," Mary Margaret moved slightly in front of him to keep him from attacking Hook as well.

"What did she do? She made me small!"

"Come on," David stepped forward, coming into Anton's view, "Let's get you out of here…"

"YOU!" Anton shouted, stumbling back from David.

"Me?" David frowned.

"YOU!" Anton repeated, lunging for him and punching him across the face, sending him flying backwards.

"David!" Mary Margaret gasped and rushed over to help him.

Leroy quickly jumped in front of him, "Hey! Hey, over here, you big…"

But Anton shoved him to the side, down the stairs of the ship and launched himself at David once more, the man lifting his gun, but Anton knocked it out of his hand. He tried to grab him, but an arrow went whizzing past his head, fired by Mary Margaret with her bow, and narrowly missed him.

"Step away from my husband!" she demanded, leveling another arrow at him.

Anton just glared at David, "You may have me outnumbered, but this isn't over. You think I forgot what you did? What you did to my family? To Piper!?" Mary Margaret and David exchanged a frown at that, "I didn't. You'll pay for your evil. You'll pay for hurting her! I promise you that! You'll pay!"

And with that, Anton turned and fled the ship, leaving a very confused couple watching him go.

~8~

A short while later, David, Mary Margaret, and Leroy were sitting in a booth at Granny's Diner, trying to make sense of Anton's outburst. Hook had disappeared in the chaos of the attack so they couldn't ask him, "David…" Mary Margaret began, "Did that giant just say he'll make you pay? For what?"

"I have no idea," David sighed, "I've never seen that guy before."

"Well, he sure knows you," Leroy remarked.

"No," David realized, "It's not about me. He just thinks it is."

Mary Margaret closed her eyes at that, "Your brother. That's who he thinks you are. He thinks you're James."

"It's the only thing that makes sense," David nodded, before getting up, "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To find out just what kind of trouble my brother got himself into. Leroy," he turned to the Dwarf, "Get your head looked at and gather the dwarves. We need to keep an eye out for this giant."

"David," Mary Margaret ran after him, "I…I don't think you should face him."

"Why not?" he turned to her just as they got outside.

"Rose," she began, "You heard him, he thinks you hurt the Piper, he thinks you hurt her and…I think James did too."

"Why do you say that?" David frowned, he didn't know much about his brother save that he was apparently quite spoiled.

"Before Emma and Rose went up the beanstalk…Rose mentioned to me that the stalk reminded her of James," she looked at him, "She said that SHE essentially killed him. I don't know why," she added quickly, seeing the horrified look on his face that her cousin had killed his brother, "She said it was so that we could meet but also that…that he deserved it, that she should have made him suffer first. I…I tried to get her to tell me what happened, why she hated him so much but she closed off. I really think he hurt her, badly, and…what Anton said, I think I'm right. He thinks you hurt his friend, but I'M her cousin, he might listen to me more than you. He might listen to Snow White more than someone he thinks is Prince James."

David let out a breath at that, "Either way Snow, we need to know what happened, what James really did, to Anton and to Piper. He saw you defending me, we both need to talk to him."

Mary Margaret frowned at that but took his hand as they walked off, David silent. All this time, he'd thought that, perhaps Piper just had an animosity to him because he hadn't trusted Mary Margaret as David Nolan, and he was sure that was part of it. But…maybe it was more than that. Maybe it was that his face just brought up the worst memories.

For a Giant that was rumored to hate humanity to feel that protective of a human…James had to have done something terrible.

~8~

Piper stretched as she got out of the car, the four of them arriving at the airport and grabbing their bags. She smiled as Gold took her bag with his. He had a rolling suitcase and had merely placed her duffle bag on top of it but it was the thought that counted so she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek for his actions. Emma and Henry exchanged a look at that, at the action and response. Henry had a small smile on his face while Emma just looked confused. For being the Dark One, Gold was remarkably kind and considerate, to Piper at least. Henry though, knew differently, having been around both during the curse. Gold and Piper were…dark, he could admit it, as much as he was startled to realize that Piper was also Rose Red and therefore the cousin of Snow White (it was a little disconcerting to know the cousin of the most pure hearted woman of fairytale was dark and, in some cases a villain). He wasn't entirely sure he understood the relationship that Gold and Piper had or how it worked, by all rights with how dark they each were they should be worse than they were before meeting each other, their darknesses should have multiplied in the other, made them even darker…

But he guessed it was like magnets, sort of. They were both dark and it sort of…repelled the darkness between them? If that made any sense, HE was still trying to make sense of it. They could be cold and harsh and distant and uncaring of other people, had proven themselves to be, but with each other, and with the people the other cared for, it was like they were different. They were warmer and closer and more willing to help. It was like they balanced each other, accepted each other and in that acceptance, it was almost like they made each other better without even trying or forcing it, it was just…happening, subtly but it was there.

"We just need our boarding passes," Piper turned to them, "And then security and we shall be on the plane in no time."

Emma nodded and turned with Henry to follow Gold and Piper into the airport, Piper going to the main desk to obtain their boarding passes while they waited, returning rather quickly and leading them to security. While Emma had travelled quite a bit as a young girl, foster home to foster home, she hadn't exactly flown much but she knew that August and Piper had done extensive travels all over the world.

"Have you ever been outside of Storybrooke before, Mr. Gold?" Henry looked up at the man as they waited in line at the security areas.

"No," he stated.

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"Are you worried about meeting your son?"

"No, Henry, I'm fine."

"How about we talk about all this later, kid?" Emma cut in, seeing Henry about to ask another question and hearing in Gold's short responses that he didn't want to talk, "We're next."

"Take off your shoes," Piper instructed, moving to do as she'd said, smiling as Gold gave her a confused look for the reason why, "Failed bomb in a shoe, means all passengers have to remove their shoes and have them checked," she explained as Gold nodded and moved to take his shoes off too.

"How terribly uncivilized," he muttered as he did it.

"It must be really hard not to use magic," Henry remarked, "Being like everyone else."

"There is always magic Henry," Piper shook her head, placing her shoes in a bin with Gold's, "In a land like this, it is just harder to tap into, but it is always there."

"Uh, scarf and the cane go in the basket," one of the security agents stopped Gold from following Henry through the metal detector.

"What?" Gold frowned.

"Scarf and cane go in the basket," the man repeated.

"I can't…I…"

"You have to," Emma said quietly.

"It ain't rocket science, buddy," a man behind them shouted at them holding up the line, "You ever been on a plane before?"

"You ever need your shoe removed from your backside before?" Piper snapped at him, Emma doing her best to not laugh at that. She had only really seen Piper dealing with the people in Storybrooke which, even before the curse was broken, were…not exactly like everyone else. But to see her in the real world…she actually felt a small zing in her heart at that thought that…this woman could have been her adoptive mother if she'd been able to find her in time and…she honestly felt like she wouldn't have minded that much.

"No," the man backed off.

"Then keep your mouth shut and that will not be a problem for you," she glared, before turning back to Gold, "It will be fine Rummy," she murmured to him, reaching out to squeeze his arm, "I will make sure you get across fine."

"Just put your shawl in the bin," Emma added, "We'll both help you get through."

"If I let this go, I could forget who I am," Gold hissed at her.

"That will not happen," Piper promised him, taking his hand, "Trust me and be quick about it."

Gold swallowed hard but quickly put his cane on a box and pulled the shawl off, leaving it with the cane as well. Piper stepped in front of him and led him, by the hand, through the detector, her eyes on him, seeing him blinking, becoming dazed and disoriented, stumbling but with Emma steadying him from behind with a hand on his back. The second he was through she grabbed the shawl and draped it over him once more, watching intently as he blinked and seemed to come back to himself.

"Rummy?" she asked quietly.

He took a breath and nodded, "I'm alright Pip."

She let out a breath and smiled, "I suppose it means we are driving back to Storybrooke?"

He just offered her a weak smile at that and turned to put his shoes back on, the three of them moving over to where Henry was waiting for them.

"Guys, there's a Cinnabons here!" the boy exclaimed, looking to Emma pleadingly.

Emma rolled her eyes but gave him five dollars to go get some of the treat with and the three adults waited, Gold pacing nearly the moment they found a place to stand.

"Do you want something to eat?" Emma asked him, if just to be polite.

"No," he answered shortly.

Emma frowned and looked at Piper, "Is something wrong?" she whispered to her.

"Stop asking that!" Gold snapped instead, before sighing, turning to Piper, "I'll be right back."

She nodded and watched him walk off to the restroom, waiting only till he'd gone inside before she let out a long breath. She knew that tension in him, it was the tension that built to the point where he lashed out and broke things or tried to destroy other things. But it was also the tension that he never wanted others to see. He liked keeping a mask of cool indifference or glee but when he became that worked up, he didn't want anyone, not even her to see him lose it. She knew it happened, the evidence was always there, he knew that she knew when it was happening and it was enough that she knew he was throwing a tantrum or making a mess, he didn't want her to actually see it. So she respected his wishes, gave him his peace, and tended to him in the aftermath, whether it was sweeping up broken glass teacups or cleaning up blood.

She just hoped he wouldn't hurt himself too badly as he had no magic to heal himself with.

~8~

Mary Margaret and David were in quite the pickle back in Storybrooke. Their plan to try and calmly talk to Anton had not gone well, or even really been implemented yet. Anton had, somehow, grown to his full giant height and was terrorizing the town, making all the inhabitants flee as he threw cars and other objects around at them.

"That's right!" the giant shouted, "Run! Run!" he grabbed a car and threw it in David and Mary Margaret's direction, but not quite spotting them as he continued his path through town.

"Head to the town hall!" David shouted as he and Mary Margaret ran after Anton, trying to calm the citizens and keep them safe, "Bring anyone you find on the way! Somebody get Leroy!"

"Guess we found our giant," Mary Margaret muttered, "I just didn't think he would be so…"

"Giant?"

"My mistake."

"Ever stop one before?"

"Rose has," she muttered, "And she's not here."

"Well…here's to new firsts," he rushed forward and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting up to the giant, "Wait! You don't have to do this!"

"Yeah, I do," Anton rounded on him, glaring at him, "You destroyed everything in my life and caused my friend nothing but misery! Now you're going to know what that feels like."

"The man who hurt you? That wasn't me," David tried to tell him, "That was my twin brother James. We were separated at birth. He was raised by a…a ruthless King."

"You're not James?" Anton paused.

"Anton please," Mary Margaret ran to David's side, "I'm Snow White…Rose…um, Piper, she's my cousin."

Anton eyed her, "YOU are Snow White?" he frowned, "Emma is your daughter?"

"Yes," Mary Margaret nodded, letting out a breath that he was at least listening to her, "And this," she put a hand on David's chest, "He's my husband, David. Please Anton, do you think Piper would let him be anywhere near me if he was actually James?"

"No," Anton shook his head, "Not after what he and his father did to her."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to ask him what HAD they done to Piper, but David held up a hand to ask her to wait, needing to deal with the Giant first and…talking about that might actually just make him even angrier, "He's dead Anton," David added, "Piper…she killed him."

"She did?" Anton whispered, "She has truly avenged my family then."

"Yes," Mary Margaret nodded, though she had a frown on her face at the thought of her cousin having murdered James and Jack, "We're on your side, Anton! We're good! We're here because of you," she tried to smile, "You helped Piper and Emma, you gave them the magic compass…"

"Piper is here?!" Anton's eyes widened, "Let me talk to her. I…I've never met Snow White, I can't tell if you're really her and if you're telling the truth. If Piper says it…then I'll stop."

Mary Margaret winced at that, "She's kind of out of town…but when she gets back, I know she'll really want to talk to you."

"How convenient," Anton frowned at that, thinking he was being lied to, that he was being tricked, "Everyone I'm looking for isn't around! All you humans do is lie, and cheat, and kill, and I'm sick of it!"

David grabbed Mary Margaret's hand, pulling her away as Anton charged after them.

~8~

Piper sat beside Gold as they boarded the plane, waiting for everyone else to find their seats. She had her good hand delicately resting on his wrist, he'd come out of the bathroom with a bloodied fist and she knew there was likely something dented in the bathroom. It had proven though, that he didn't have magic outside Storybrooke and she wasn't a healer, so she'd bandaged it up as best she could and they were sitting side by side just…waiting.

Henry had a box of cinnamon buns on his lap, Emma beside him across the aisle, "You good, kid?" Emma eyed him.

"You kidding?" Henry beamed, "A trip with you, first plane ride, and we're going on a quest like in the book. The only thing that could make this day better? Is more frosting!" he took a large bite out of the bun, offering some to Emma but she shook her head.

"Everything will be well Rummy," Emma heard Piper whisper and looked over to see her leaning in to Gold, who was sitting rigidly in his seat, "We will find Bae."

"I know," he gave a small nod as the announcements for the flight began.

"Welcome, folks, to Ajira Airlines regional flight fifty-three, with non-stop service to New York City," the pilot began, "Our flight time tonight is forty-two minutes. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride."

Piper looked down, feeling her phone buzz and pulled it out, nearly having forgotten to turn it off, only to frown at the series of messages on it.

**SW:** _Anton is in Storybrooke._  
**SW:** _He tried to attack us, but we're fine._  
**SW:** _He nearly died, but we saved him. He trusts us now._  
**SW:** _When you get back, we're going to have a long talk Rose._

Piper closed her eyes at that last one.

**SW:** _I know what James and George did._

She swallowed hard and took a breath, sending her a quick 'Ok,' before turning her phone off and slipping it back into her pocket and placing her arm back down on Gold's just as the plane engines started up.

She looked over when she felt the arm she'd been resting on shift and smiled slightly when she saw him move his hand on top of hers, holding it and squeezing it as the plane took off.

A/N: I really can't wait till Piper's back in Storybrooke, just because of the 'reunion' with tiny Anton :)

Some notes on reviews...

We'll find out very soon what else happened in Hamelin ;)

The post of the stories, they posted the first two stories of the HOTS without permission :( For the first story there was a mention in the summary that they were not the author and they gave a link. But the second story had no mention of that and, worse yet, there were comments/reviews on the second story where a reader said 'you're a fantastic author' to the poster and, instead of stating they weren't the author, the poster only thanked them :( Which, to me, gives the impression that they weren't denying they weren't the author :( I'm more upset that they asked and promised they would NOT post my stories without my consent...and then did it anyway 4 days later :(


	26. Captured

A/N: Quick warning, this chapter will include a very near-experience for Piper of something many women fear happening to them. There's nothing very graphic, it's a jumple of things from her POV, but if you'd like to skip the actual encounter, it will be the italiced part. Sorry!

~8~

Captured

This was the LAST place she wanted to be.

The kingdom of king George and Prince James was not a place she tried to venture into. It had been…a while since she'd actually been in a real palace. She avoided them for the most part, worked through the shadows, in the lower towns and outlier villages. She was cautious, even then, as cautious as she could be when it came to having to reveal herself, offer her services. She had even gone so far as to adopt a new name, or rather one had been given to her. The Piper they called her now, the Pied Piper. She had made a name for herself it appeared. One small village had had an infestation of locusts, she'd gotten them away, and people had cheered for her, had hailed her as the Piper and since then word of her feats had drifted through the kingdoms. Word would reach her some times, she honestly wasn't' sure how it managed to happen with how she tried to avoid most places, but it reached her, when a village needed her assistance or something like that. She'd go, strike a bargain with the mayor of the towns or the village leaders, do her work, get paid, and leave.

That was how it was supposed to be though, it didn't always happen like that. At first her name had been a blessing to most towns, when she appeared their rodent and pests were dealt with quickly and effectively. However, that had grown to a lesser note in the margins of the story that was her life. Ever since Hamelin, when their mayor tried to back out of a deal, had refused to pay her, people were more…wary of her. Oh they were wary to begin with, they could tell just from seeing her how stoic she was and unforgiving. Her voice was harsh, her stance rigid, her face expressionless, but with an ice in her eyes. No one, no one with a working mind, dared to try and double cross her, most seemed to realize, if she could control the animals with her music she could control THEM with her music too. That was more than enough for people to hand over their money and let her leave peacefully. Hamelin hadn't been quite that wise.

And Hamelin had paid the Piper most dearly.

It was good, she supposed, in the long run, despite the stain it inevitably left on her soul, that Hamelin had been a large enough town and had the connections it did to spread word of the revenge she'd sought. No one since then had dared cross her. But it appeared that some, the more…cruel and lowly of people sought her out for the same purpose, they wanted her to do what she'd done in Hamelin, they wanted her to use her magic for them, against their enemies instead of the pests. She often refused those bargains though, she had no qualms with one kingdom's enemies…well, if they had been going after the Queen she'd have volunteered most fervently, but alas, the men who ruled these realms were too cautious and scared of her and none even attempted to attack Regina. So she didn't attack their enemies either. They wanted a war, they could go themselves, she would not get involved. That didn't usually leave her in a good spot, but when she demonstrated how her magic could work on the people before her, the kings themselves, they let her go for fear of what she'd do to them.

She also turned them down because it meant going to the palaces of the kings and she wanted to be away from royalty, the further she was away the less chance there was of Regina seeing her and recognizing her or the kings themselves recognizing her from when she too had been a princess. She was…hesitant to come to this kingdom especially. George and James had, at one point, wished to wed James to her and Snow White, after Snow had refused of course, and she feared that that would mean the two knew what she looked like. She couldn't recall ever having met the two though so she was hoping that would mean she was safe from them, that she could enter their throne room and not have to deal with them realizing who she really was and trying to attack her or capture her. As far as she knew, she was to be brought to the palace to discuss a small lizard infestation of some sort.

She stopped before the doors to the throne room, waiting with rolling eyes as the doors were thrown open and she was announced to the king and his son. She strode in, her brown cloak on, her pipe in her boot, always ready to be pulled out and used. Her worn dress was hidden beneath the cloak and her bag that held her money and a few small items was thrown over her shoulder, helping to hide her clothing as she moved. She didn't see the point in buying expensive gowns or dresses when they'd just get soiled so she resolved to wear her current dress till it was in tatters and then procure another dress to wear. But that often gave the impression of her being desperate, when other saw her tattering clothes, and made them think she could be taken advantage of.

"I have heard tell that you require my services," she began, not bothering to bow to them as she came to the end of a red carpet that led to the thrones. The queen of this realm had died but the prince sat in her throne, beside his father, helping him rule…though she was more inclined to describe it as slowly running the kingdom into ruin.

"Yes…" King George began, though he sat forward in his throne more, eyeing her intently a long moment. He waved a servant over to him, whispering something in the man's ear before the man hurried out of the room.

"It is quite rude to whisper in the presence of a guest," Piper remarked.

George pursed his lips, clearly not the sort to be used to others reprimanding him, "My apologies," he offered, "You…look familiar."

"I can say that we have never met," she shrugged, "And I do believe that that is NOT why I am here. You have a reptile problem?"

"Yes," James nodded, "A…rather large one. An overgrown lizard has been spotted on the boarders of our kingdom, getting closer every month. We would see it gone."

"One lizard?" she raised an eyebrow, frowning at that, "And you, oh great prince, cannot see to it yourself?" she scoffed, "Neither you nor your men can deal with it and you call a woman in instead?" she shook her head, "I fear for the future of your kingdom if you cannot even alleviate the suffering of your people without a woman at your side."

"You hold your tongue," George hissed at her.

"My tongue and my music is what you summoned me for," she reminded him, "I shall not hold it until I have assessed your situation and been given my payment."

The two men sat back at that, glancing at each other.

She nearly rolled her eyes at their expressions, "Let me guess, you have no means of payment? The royal coffers are nearly empty, are they?"

"We can work out another method of payment," George declared, "The…lizard we need help with, we called you here for your control of it. You can subdue it, kill it, even, without removing its head, isn't that right?" she frowned but nodded at that, "It will fetch a hefty price and we can pay you with that money when it is received."

She hummed a moment, considering it as another man entered, fat and old and balding, with so many royal robes on she was surprised he hadn't tripped in his waddling run towards the thrones, his back half to her, "I do not think I can accept."

"What?!" James jumped to his feet, glaring at her as the bald man quickly spoke to the king who kept his gaze on her.

"I am of use where there is an infestation," she remarked, "I am not going up against a dragon merely because YOU are too cowardly to face it."

Truly, were they THAT thick that they thought she wouldn't realize they were speaking of a dragon? One single large lizard that was big and powerful enough to startle a village and have the king and heir on alert? ONE lizard? That was hardly an infestation and she was not about to help them slay it. If anything, she'd rather coax it to attack. Not to mention…dragons breathed fire, she was not a fan of fire, not at all.

"So you will not help us?" James demanded, "You would let our kingdom fall to ruin?"

"No," George cut in, standing as well, though far more slowly than his son had, with more of a regal air to him, "In fact, I believe she'll be the key to our salvation."

"I repeat, I am not facing a dragon," Piper glared at him.

"No," George agreed, his gaze flickering to something over Piper's shoulder for a moment before it fixed back on her, "You serve far more use to us alive than dead."

"Father?" James looked at the man, confused as to what was going on in the man's head.

"Did you truly think, just because we have not met, that I wouldn't have some way to recognize you?" George stepped down from the small dais the thrones were based on, "Princess?"

Piper stiffened at that, looking over at the bald man and feeling her heart stop as she realized…she knew HIM. He was the dignitary that had come to her home years ago to offer a treaty between the kingdoms, her hand in marriage to James. She had refused, quite vocally, but the man had SEEN her. George, it appeared was a smarter man than she gave him credit for. He'd called the man in to confirm his suspicions. She should have known he'd have some sort of guess as to who she was. She had been hoping, since she had never met the man personally, since he only knew a vague description of what she looked like (yellow hair, green eyes…and that was half the girls in all the kingdoms likely) that he wouldn't think it was HER. But he had known someone who HAD seen her.

"The Queen would pay a fortune for you."

"Father what are you…" James turned to him.

"James," George grinned at her dangerously, "Allow me to formally introduce you to the Princess, Rose Red."

And that was the last thing she heard. Before she could even grab her pipe to play a tune and knock them out, SHE had been knocked out herself by the bash of a sword hilt against the back of her skull. She'd been so shocked and startled by George uncovering her, she hadn't heard the guard sneaking up behind her at George's silent command.

~8~

Two months.

Two months of hell.

But it was two months that she should have been given to the queen but was still sitting there, in the corner of her tiny jail cell. She should consider herself lucky George was such a greedy wretch. He was both trying to work out how to use her magic to benefit himself but also how he could work out a meeting with Regina to demand payment for her without making it seem like he'd had her in his possession so long without contacting her.

The cell had become her room there. It was a tiny cramped room, a barely there window allowing her to know when dawn had come. The stone beneath her was covered in a small layer of straw and there was a bucket in the corner where she could relieve herself, there was no cot, no blanket, nothing at all save straw and a bucket in the room. The door was heavy and thick and the guards on the other side of it stood with wax in their ears. Literally, George had made all the guards put beeswax in their ears to prevent them hearing her melodies. It was the only reason she still had her playing pipe with her, the pipe that Snow had given her when she last saw her cousin.

She had been confused, when she'd woken in the cell to find that she still had her pipe, she'd tried to play, tried to do anything to call help to her, but George had walked in with a grin on his face and turned his head to show her the wax in his own ears, and she realized…she was helpless.

That had been the beginning of the end. She didn't get a chance to leave the cell often, was fed barely once a day and the meals she was given were more scraps than anything. She had her cloak with her still, her bag, but mostly because George saw them useless and if she had her cloak then she didn't need a blanket. She was released only when the King thought there might be some use for her. Sometimes she was expected to follow him around, some sort of sick power play to show others that he had possession of her, like she was some sort of object. She'd refused the first time when he'd asked her to make one of his hunting dogs dance for a small group of nobles at a small banquet (as though he could afford one). He had warned her beforehand that there were two guards on the upper levels of the castle with crossbows aimed at her at all times if she dared use her magic and music for anything other than what he wished that night, if she tried to escape, they were to launch their arrows, wax in their ears to protect them. She had refused to do it, she hadn't wanted to have her magic under someone else's control like that. It was one thing to offer her services, to offer the entertainment, it was another to be expected and ordered to do so.

George had slapped her (more like backhanded her) in front of his nobles, sending her to the ground and ordered her to play on her knees.

She was going to kill him one day.

She swore it, she would, she'd see him and his precious kingdom fall to the ground in flames if she could manage it. George was…not a kind man, he was nothing like King Leopold, he wasn't generous or understanding or compassionate. He treated everyone like he was better than them, he was cold and he only wanted the kingdom to prosper so that it wouldn't be a target to his enemies. He didn't care at all about the men and women who lived in it. He was a brute. She had been hit more times than she could count by him, had been kicked, had even been slammed into the wall with his dagger at her throat the very first night when she told him, in no uncertain terms, that she was going to kill him one day. George was more forceful with her, he was more physically punishing…James was just…urg. She hated the little princeling. He was arrogant and entitled and he took a different girl to bed nearly every week. Never her though, never EVER her, she'd sooner claw his eyes out with her bare hands than let him get that close to her. He didn't seem interested either. Once he realized she was Rose Red and she had turned down the proposition of marriage to him, he treated her like she wasn't worth his time at all. She was grateful for that at least, he ignored her, George used her, but James was also very snide, condescending when he spoke to her, he had no qualms with making digs at her, knowing that there were always guards around with wax in their ears to ensure if she tried to harm him that she'd be dealt with. James, at least, never laid a hand on her, never lifted a finger to help her.

And that…was exactly why she was sitting in the cell, her eye blackened, her throat sore, shaking and staring at the door…waiting…

~8~

_She was getting very tired of this, of following the Prince around just because his father ordered it. It was demeaning especially because her hands were bound before her, attached to a rope he was pulling, like she was some sort of dog or pet on a leash being taken out for a stroll. She glowered at the prince behind his back, him holding the rope in one hand while his other was around his latest woman of the week, leading the woman towards his bedchambers. She nearly rolled her eyes as he turned and grinned at her. He winked and stepped into his room with his girl, taking the rope with him before slamming the door shut on it, effectively keeping her tethered to it as it was wedged in the doorway._

_She clenched her hands into fists, tugging on the rope but it wouldn't move. There was barely enough slack to stand in the middle of the hall and the manacles were too close together that she couldn't even maneuver her wrists to be able to try and untie the rope. She stormed over to the door and kicked it repeatedly, hearing James barking an order to stop but she kicked more until her foot her and fell to the side against the wall, glaring at the wall across from her. She stared at every single crack of the wall as though they had personally wronged her, thinking of every single hit she'd endured by George, every crude word by James, and thought of the endless ways she would end them both._

_She let out a long breath before turning sharply, hearing something down the hall. She grit her teeth when she saw a guard stumbling around the corner, sipping deeply from a flask, already inebriated but seeming to want more. He'd probably snuck wine from the storerooms and gone on a binge. Wonderful. Now she'd have to deal with a drunk guard if he spotted her. She tried to keep quiet, tried to not move, in no mood to have to have a confrontation with him, hoping that he'd go away, that he'd just not see her if she didn't move or talk and continue on his way._

_Unfortunately the fates seemed to be mocking her because the man saw her nearly instantly, looking over at her and laughing loudly as he started to stumble his way to her, using the wall to hold him up, "Well look here," he laughed, his words slurring, "The wee songbird eh?"_

_Piper pursed her lips, thankful that at least only a handful knew who she was, the king, his son, the dignitary and two guards who had been threatened to not reveal a word of what they knew of her and who she was, everyone else thought she was just the Piper._

_"Ooh has the nightingale gone silent?" he laughed, making it within arm's reach of her, close enough for her to see the wax in his ears, before suddenly grabbing her arm, "I bet I can work a song out of you…" he leered at her._

_"Unhand me," she spat at him, twisting to pull her arm out of his hold, but he tightened his grip._

_"So there is some fight in you," he grinned, "Good, I like a woman with spirit. More fun to break it."_

_"Try it and I break your neck!" she hissed at him._

_He surged towards her, slamming his mouth to hers and she reeled back, bringing her knee up to his gut, kicking him back, sending him falling into the wall behind him. He wheezed as he hit the wall, before he glared at her._

_"You little bitch!" he glared at her and lunged at her, and…_

_She honestly didn't know what was happening, it was a blur. His hands were on her , on her sides, on her chest, trying to retrain her legs. He was clawing at her, breaking the clasp of her cloak and sending it to the ground before he tried to tear at her dress._

_"Let go of me!" she screamed, struggling in his grip, trying to hit him with everything she could, "Get off me!"_

_She didn't know why she was shouting at him, he couldn't hear her, her voice wouldn't be any use to her in this, but she was hoping, her screams might get someone else to help._

_She tried to pull away, but the rope holding her to the door wasn't allowing for much freedom, but she kicked and kneed and swung her arms, trying to get the man off her, NOT about to let this happen, rather willing to die than for this to happen to her…when she stumbled away as the door opened and the rope was released._

_She gasped, falling to the floor and scrambling up when she saw the prince in the doorway, his shirt off, his trousers nearly undone, his hair disheveled, glaring at them, "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded._

_But she knew, it wasn't a demand to the man about what he was doing, but a cause for the noise._

_"We was just having a bit of fun sire," the man bowed, though his words were still slurring, only slightly though, it seemed the fight had jarred him out of his drunken stupor a little more._

_"And the screaming?" James raised an eyebrow at that._

_The man grinned, striding over to her and putting an arm around her waist, "It's more interesting when they pretend to fight milord," and then his hand dipped south in front of her._

_"Get off me!" she shoved him away, glaring at him, shaking both in fury and just pure disgust and horror at what had just happened._

_James, however, laughed at that, "She certainly loves fighting, doesn't she?"_

_Piper would have gaped at him if she hadn't expected him to be so flippant with what had just happened. His own prowess with women and reputation left little to be imagined that he'd believe the guard over her. But given the clear evidence, what the man had just tried to do in front of him, what her reaction had been, it should have been clear she did NOT want this at all, she was fighting for a reason!_

_"Don't worry sire," the guard grinned, seeming pleased that the prince was near supporting him, "I'll be sure to teach her some manners."_

_"Well then," James gave her a dark look, like he knew EXACTLY what had been happening and, as usual, was not going to lift a finger to help her, "Carry on."_

_"You disgusting little maggot!" she raged, throwing herself at the prince and swinging her arms in front of her, punching him right in the face, sending him staggering backwards as she kept swinging at him, screaming at him, clawing at him to just…hurt him._

_Because if she hurt him, she'd be dragged off to her cell by more guards than just the drunkard, and if she was dragged off, if she hurt him, the king would be informed and NO ONE would be allowed into her cell._

~8~

And that was exactly what had happened. She'd been dragged off by three guards, kicking and screaming obscenities at the prince who was now sporting a black eye that matched her own, thrown into the dungeon cell with what was left of her cloak thrown at her. Oh that was a testament to how James was that he would hit a woman back, but she didn't care. She'd take a black eye over what the guard had been attempting any and every day. She would take anything that George was going to condemn her to over that. Though she hoped it would be execution instead of a plot to get to Snow White.

She looked up sharply when she heard the door open and George stepped in with two guards, glaring at her with malice and burning fury in his eyes, "Take her," he ordered the men, not even telling her what punishment she was going to suffer before the men ran over to her and grabbed her by the arms, hauling her to her feet.

George strode over to her, grabbing her face in a hand, squeezing her cheeks making her wince as he gripped a bit too tightly on her bruised side, "I have been far too lenient with you," he nearly spat at her, "And it is time you learned your place."

He spun on his heel and stormed out of the cell, the men half dragging half pulling her out after him. She didn't struggle much, seeing the wax in the ears of the guards, and knowing that if she struggled she'd be overpowered easily and she needed to be conscious for what was coming, see if there was some way to get out of it.

She was led to the courtyard of the castle, a crowd of people, the villagers and peasants starting to gather, all of them seeming confused. James was there, his arms crossed, smirking at her despite the bruise marring his eye, his latest woman hanging off his arm and fretting over his blemish. He seemed pleased, too pleased, and she knew whatever was coming was likely going to hurt. She was forced to her knees, only then realizing that there was a large stump of wood before her, a tree trunk that had been cut a short way up, just about the size of her body if she were to kneel…which she now was. The guards didn't let go of her arms but pulled them out before her, nearly smashing her face into the tree trunk had she not turned her head at the last second. They pulled to stretch her arms out, nearly around the tree but it was too thick. She felt it, manacles being attached to her wrists, locking her in place around the tree so tightly she could hardly move away from it.

She winced as she felt her cloak torn away from her, nearly demanded to know what they were doing…when she felt the back of her dress ripped, exposing her back. She felt the breath leave her as she realized exactly what was going to happen. She bit her lip as her eyes widened. She could hear George talking, addressing the crowd but she didn't need to listen to him to know what he was saying. She would be made an example, no one should dare harm the prince, actions against the crown would be punished, and so on.

The first crack of the whip was not something she expected, she'd been so lost in her realization and the blood pounding in her ears. She winced, biting her lip harder, refusing to cry out, and slammed her eyes shut, her hands clenching into fists as she pulled at the restrains. She knew it was worse, to be tense when it happened, she should relax, it might hurt less, but she couldn't. She just couldn't. She couldn't even think of a melody or something that might incite the crowd to revolt because the moment her mind tried to think…another lashing was dealt and all she could do was bear the pain and not give George the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

She forced her eyes open, seeing George and James had moved to stand in her line of sight, both men grinning at her, and she glared at them, refusing to allow her eyes to fill with tears, refusing to allow any hint of pain to enter them though she knew that there likely were.

She counted 50. 50 lashings of the whip, before she was released and dragged off, her legs barely supporting her, her skin paler, her head lighter from the blood loss. She was thrown back into the dungeon cell, the guards not even caring if she landed on her back or not and let out a sharp cry of pain, content to know no one would hear it with the wax in their ears. She rolled on her side, not sure if she'd be able to stand being on her stomach, not sure if she'd be able to get up in that case. Her back was on fire, she could feel it still bleeding, she could feel every single lash with every breath she took and she knew…George would send no one to help her, no one to tend to the cuts. He'd rather risk her getting an infection and dying from it than to help the woman who had harmed his son, a single punch in defense of herself and this. He'd rather lose his bargaining chip than let a slight against his son go.

She pressed her left hand to the floor of the ground before her, curling her right hand into a fist and pressing it to her mouth. She didn't cry, not audibly, she didn't sob…but she could feel the tears coming now as she stared at the back wall of her cell, nearly curled in a small ball, trying not to move from the pain. She just…stared, and stared and stared and suddenly the cracks in the walls weren't just cracks, they were lash marks. This entire kingdom was suffering due to George and James, she knew that Snow (or herself) would have suffered had they wed the insufferable prince, and she knew many more would suffer because of the man…she was suffering even now. Perhaps she should have wished for unconsciousness instead of enduring that awake but she knew that George would have forced her to wake, would have waited till she was fully aware of what was happening.

She closed her eyes, trying to take as deep a breath as she could without moving her back, and swore to herself…she'd see the king ruined, she'd see James dead by her actions, if it was the last thing she ever did.

A/N: I'm so sorry there were no chapters the last few days :( We had a thunder storm in my area that knocked out our power and we didn't get it back till (according to my clocks) about 3am-ish this morning -sigh- :( But...I'm happy to say that I should be back and updating at my normal times and daily without further incident ;)

As for this chapter...I'm so sorry :( I just had to put what George and James did to her while she was there :( How they treated her, how they disregarded her and just how she suffered, you can probably guess what the guard tried to do :'( Sort of makes sense why she went after James and has 0 remorse for killing him }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh Anton and Piper's reunion made me smile to write ;) We'll have to wait and see how it goes though ;)

Yup, Gold will meet Anton and he'll have a respect for him :) I miss August too, there'll be some references of him coming up especially with Piper and Neal ;) Thank you though, I'm almost at the point of being paranoid about timing and plagiarism, like...on average, (13 times, 1.5 years) that's about 1 every month and a half so I'm like...what's going to happen mid-August now? I hope nothing though :)

I'm glad you enjoyed the stories so far :) I can't say 100% if I'll ever do a HP story, mostly because I love Harry/Luna. But...I do sort of like Harry/Daphne Greengrass (just for the Gryffindor/Slytherin dynamic) and she's sort of like an OC as all we know is her name and house and that her sister marries Draco, so I might, one day, attempt that story, maybe, but there's hope ;)

We found out here what James and George did :( They treated her badly, but the peak of it was this scene here :'(

I'm not a large fan of Rumbelle. I adore Belle, but I was hoping she'd actually have her own 'Beast' instead of Rumple taking over another role. I mostly am not a huge fan because I feel like Belle is trying to change him too much, she guilts him and semi-threatens to leave him because she feels he's not being a good person. But the thing is...not everyone is a good person, and even if we are, we act out in different ways and that's who we are. I feel like she doesn't accept all of him, his darkness especially, and that she loves the idea of trying to redeem him and change him and save him more than actually loving HIM and all his flaws and imperfections and things. That was one reason I wanted to try a Gold/OC, an OC that is as dark as him and lets him do what he wants. I feel like (in the scope of the whole series that I've written) Piper gets him to change more naturally, it's a choice and growth on Gold's part in his own time instead of his hand being forced just to keep his love at his side :)


	27. Manhattan

Manhattan

They had done it, they had finally reached New York, the apartment building that the globe had pointed them to. They'd taken a taxi right from the airport to there, the four of them, Gold, Emma, Piper, and Henry crammed in the back, Henry sitting on Emma's lap with Piper in between her and Gold, though leaning slightly more on him and shifted to the side so her arm wouldn't sting. She could feel the pain medication Whale had given her starting to wear off but it was still a dull throb, like an annoyance instead of a pain. She was waiting as long as she could before taking another pill, she rather disliked them and with the thought of meeting Baelfire…she was more anxious, nervous, excited, and adrenaline filled than she probably should be and it was dulling her pain more.

She…for all her bravado and confidence in this, she was very…unsure of what would happen. She had wanted to meet Baelfire since Rumpelstiltskin had trusted her enough to tell her about him. How could she not? The son of the man she loved? She wasn't so arrogant to think of the boy as her own, she hadn't even met him, and…she knew he wasn't a boy any longer. He'd been so young when Gold had lost him but he'd encountered a seer afterwards, one that he'd mentioned to her once that he'd met before his son had even been born. He'd seen that his plan would work, that he'd find his son and he'd gotten only a glimpse of a man before the vision got jumbled. He knew he'd find his son grown up, but it was still his son, his Bae and…she knew how resentment could fester. She wanted to bet here with Gold for this, incase Baelfire was angry with him.

She wanted very much to be there for her love but there was also a small part of her that just…wanted to meet the man herself. It was odd, for her, to be this…affected by the notion of meeting Baelfire. Normally she couldn't care less about what people thought of her, of what their opinions were, if they hated her or loved her, she barely batted an eyelash at it. But this wasn't just anyone…this was her True Love's son. Sirens were…closed off, for the most part, their family was everything to them and Gold was her family now, a part of her family, and his son came with him. Baelfire's opinion of her…mattered to her, more than she wanted to admit.

She wasn't sure what he'd think of her. She hadn't become the Piper till ages after Baelfire had disappeared, but surely he had to have heard of her, in stories or other things. She wasn't sure which stories he might know, if he knew of Hamelin, of what really happened, if he knew other things she'd done. If he was Rumpelstiltskin's son, there was some sort of chance that he might know of the Dark Curse, of the prophecy, of the Savior, of everything. And if he knew everything…

No, she was getting ahead of herself. Not even SNOW knew what her involvement had been with James's death. No one but George and his kingdom knew the torment she'd suffered under the whip. She had ensured that August not add anything to the book that wasn't PG for Henry to read. There was nothing about her lashings, about the scars on her thigh, about the torment she'd suffered before becoming the Piper and fighting back. There was nothing about the various ways she had killed men and women alike, the agony they suffered. She wasn't ashamed of what she'd done, nor was she guilt ridden, about any of it. But...that didn't mean she wanted Snow to know, or to scar Henry with it. It would break Snow's heart to hear of the troubles she'd encountered and what that had turned her into...it was one reason she hadn't told her what had gone on in James and George's kingdom. She had come to terms with it, she had sought her revenge for what they'd done (admittedly with the help of Gold) but she'd worked past it. She didn't care about her own heart, Sirens were inherently dark creatures, but Snow's heart was pure and fragile and it bled for others, she didn't want to cause her cousin any undue harm or hurt and knowing what had happened and nearly happened to her...it would hurt the woman.

"What's wrong?" she heard Emma ask, pulling her out of her thoughts as they looked up at the apartment building, the four of them standing before the doors, "This the right place?"

"Yes, it is," Gold nodded.

Emma rolled her eyes at how the man hadn't taken a step towards it in the last five minutes, knowing that look, "Let me guess. He's not expecting you. Well, who doesn't love a surprise?" and, with that, she stepped up to the main doors and yanked them open, striding inside with Henry after her.

Piper reached out and put a hand on Gold's as it clutched his cane, "I am here with you Rummy," she offered, "It pales to having your son with you, I know, but..."

"It means more to me than you will ever know Pip," he whispered, placing his other hand on top of hers for her support. She could have easily stayed in Storybrooke.

He knew it was a struggle for her, balancing having Snow White back in her life and staying with him. It was like both members of her 'family' were on opposing sides and she was trying to be the rope that connected them both. She could have stayed back, protected Mary Margaret from whatever Cora was planning, worked on finding out what it was, healed with rest and relaxation and proper medical care instead of cramped cars and turbulent planes and walking around in a large city, fretting over him and his son and Emma and Henry. She could have stayed there, where her magic was stronger...but she'd chosen him. To know that, even now, even with Mary Margaret knowing who she was and on the verge of forgiving her for all her past deeds, she still chose him as she had in the Enchanted Forest...it meant the world to him, it really did.

If he was going to meet his son with anyone at his side, he wanted it to be her.

He took her hand and they stepped into the apartment building lobby with her to see Emma and Henry looking at names on a small panel with buttons beside it, an intercom to be buzzed into the building.

"No 'Baelfire,'" Henry sighed, frowning.

"I doubt you would see Snow White on any mailboxes either Henry," Piper remarked, "Save for in the Disney parks."

Henry blinked and spun around to her, "You've been to Disney!?" it was such a strange idea, to him, the stoic Pied Piper wandering around Disney World with the real Pinocchio and mouse ears on her head.

"All of them," she nodded, her smile growing small, "With August," she added, "Just...giving him a bit of home, as much as I could give him without finding all of you."

Emma glanced at the names again before turning to Gold, "Yeah, Baelfire definitely wouldn't fly as an alias," she changed the topic, hearing a hint of pain in Piper's voice. They'd been trying to find August since they'd come back from the Enchanted Forest, but it appeared all their years together and travelling had let him pick up a few tricks. He knew how Piper's mind worked by now, he knew how to hide where she couldn't find him, and she knew that it broke Piper's heart a little that there was something going on August didn't want her to be around him for, still...they kept up the search for him, "Your magic globe didn't give you an apartment number?"

"It doesn't work that way," Gold shook his head.

Emma let out a sigh and turned back to the list of names, peering at them more closely, "Do any of these names mean anything to you?"

"Well, names are what I traffic in, but sadly, no," Gold frowned, eyeing all of them. But there was nothing jumping out to him.

"I doubt he would use anything that would be familiar to someone from our realm," Piper remarked.

"Yeah," Emma nodded, having realized that after she'd asked Gold, before squinting as she spotted something. There was one panel that only had a number instead of a name, and smirked, "Here's your boy," she pointed at it, Room 407.

"Or, it could just be vacant," Gold countered.

"You might traffic in names and magic, but I traffic in finding people who don't want to be found," Emma reminded him, "And those sort of folks don't like to advertise their whereabouts," she reached out and pressed the intercom to the apartment, waiting for a buzz and answer, but all she got was the buzz accepting the message, proving there was someone there, "U.P.S. package for 407."

There was a moment of silence before the buzz sounded again, signalling the end of the connection.

"Maybe you should've said FedEx," Henry suggested a moment before a crashing noise sounded outside and above them, on the fire escapes it sounded.

"He's running," Emma realized, dashing outside with the others to see someone climbing down the escape a few feet away and making a break for it the opposite direction from them, down the street.

"That…that favor you owe me," Gold turned to Emma, "This is it. Get him to talk to me. Pip and I…neither of us can run at the moment..."

"Go," Piper urged, tugging Henry back to stand beside her, wrapping her good arm around his chest to signal that she'd watch him for her.

Emma hesitated only a moment before nodding at her and rushing off after Baelfire, leaving the three of them standing by the hotdog stand just outside the apartment building.

Piper took a breath and shook her head, turning to the men, Gold watching Emma disappear around a corner and looked at Henry, "How about a hotdog?" she asked him, gesturing to the cart, just wanting something to keep them busy and...well, she knew Henry had a penchant for asking questions and she doubted Gold would want to answer right now, something to keep Henry's mouth occupied for a few moments might be just what they needed.

"Yes," Gold nodded, turning to the cart, "Er, one hot dog," he ordered for the boy, paying for it with his own money and handing it to Henry.

"Don't worry," Henry smiled up at them, taking a bite from his food, all the faith in the world in his birth mother, "Emma's really good at catching people."

"Well, my son's been running away for a long time now," Gold sighed, reaching out to put an arm around Piper, just...needing the contact, needing the comfort. He'd guessed his son might either hug him (not at all likely), punch him (more likely), or run from him (the most likely) but to see it happen, to see his boy fleeing from the mere chance it was him...it was enough to make him feel that hurt profoundly, "Now I have a feeling he's equally adept at it."

"Well, at least we found him, right?"

"Yes," Piper smiled at him.

"Oh, and, uh, thanks, for the hot dog," Henry held up the half that was left, "I forgot."

"You are quite welcome," Gold gave him a small smile, "And thank you."

"For what?"

"Well, if it wasn't for you bringing Emma to Storybrooke, none of this would have come to pass. You…are a remarkable young man. A trait I have only seen from the women in your family," he gave a smile of his own to Piper as well.

"Everything will work out for the best Rummy," Piper leaned on him more, allowing him to further wrap his arm around her, "Baelfire loves you, as you do him. Family...we forgive each other."

Henry nodded at that, taking another bite of his hot dog, "You know…I forgave her. Emma, for giving me up. She thought it was the best for me then. That's why she did it. I'm sure your son will get it, too."

Gold tensed at that and Piper knew he was recalling just how his son had been lost. The Blue Fairy, the magic bean, the swirling vortex that had tried to suck them in, digging his dagger into the ground as an anchor, not wanting to go, not wanting to give up his magic, holding onto Bae's hand...but the grip slipping, Bae being lost and the vortex closing before he could follow...

"Alas," Gold swallowed as Piper squeezed his arm in comfort, "The circumstances surrounding our separation weren't quite so noble."

"But…you're here now," Henry didn't give up, "And, you want him back, right?"

"More than anything."

"Then that's all that matters," Henry nodded firmly.

Piper smiled and brushed a hand through his hair like she used to do with August when he was Henry's age, "You are an incredibly wise young man Henry with a very large heart," she told him, "You get that from your grandmother."

Henry just beamed at that.

~8~

They had been waiting nearly an hour now for Emma to return with Baelfire or at least news of him, the three of them waiting in the lobby of the apartment building, not knowing where else they could go to wait where Emma would find them without having to call them. It was clear to both Piper and Henry that Gold was nervous though from how his fingers were drumming on his cane and how tense and rigid he was standing.

"Why are you so nervous?" Henry asked, "When I found my mom, I was excited."

"Remember Henry, YOU were the one who sought Emma out," Piper remarked, "This is rather the opposite."

"And I have the benefit of a little more…life experience," Gold sighed, "Pip and I both do. We know that things don't always happen the way we want them to."

"Sure, but in my book, it says that you can see the future," Henry added, "Why can't you just look and see what's going to happen?"

"Well…" Gold hesitated, "That ability is complicated. I didn't always have it. And then when I did…well…it's maybe not the gift one would expect. Seeing the inevitable can be a terrible price."

Piper reached out and touched his arm, knowing what it was. He'd caught glimpses of Baelfire in a vision and since then he tried his hardest NOT to look for his son in the future that he saw in his mind. He didn't want to know what he'd be in for, what would greet him. If he saw anger and hatred in his son in his mind…he didn't want that, he didn't want to know if that was what would be coming for him. Despite being a 'villain' he had quite a bit of hope still in him. He'd rather come there with the hope that Bae might forgive him (slim though it was) than to know that he'd be greeted with hatred. He was…scared, of how his son would react, even if he didn't want to say it out loud, she still knew.

"But you wouldn't have to worry about stuff," Henry shrugged, "You'd just know."

"But not all things are good to see or know," Piper reasoned, "For example, if YOU could see the future Henry, the inevitable future that will always happen no matter what…and you saw Emma die. It would be a tremendous burden to you, to know her death was coming, to not be able to stop it, to try and fail, to try and stop it only to cause it to happen. There are so many ways it could go but I think you would rather not know something like that was coming, knowing you could not change it, than to live in fear of when it would happen."

She knew it was a harsh example, but Emma was the most important person to the boy at the moment and using something as terrible as losing her might be the only way to get through to him. Henry nodded at that, his eyes wide with slight fear for his mother now, but understanding. You didn't ever want to know when a fate like that was coming, especially if you couldn't change it.

"That's only part of the great trap," Gold sighed, "The future is like a puzzle…with missing pieces at times. Difficult to read. And never, never what you think."

"Hey," a voice called and they turned to see Emma entering.

"Mom!" Henry ran over to her and gave her a big hug, his mind still caught on the 'if he saw her death' example, but Emma hugged him back just as tightly.

"Did you find him?" Gold asked instantly.

"Sorry," Emma shifted, "Your son…got away," her gaze flickered to Piper as Gold turned around to the panel, giving her a pleading look. She could see it in Piper's eyes that she knew she was lying and was begging her not to say to Gold…and then she noticed that Gold was frantically pushing all the call buttons on the intercom, "Gold, wait. What are you doing?"

Gold grinned as one person responded and unlocked the door to the inner part of the building for them, "I'm finding my son," he reached out and took Piper's hand, stepping in with her, Henry rushing after them and forcing Emma to join them.

"He's gone," Emma argued.

"But he lives here. He'll be back, and I'll be waiting," he moved to the elevator, getting in and hitting the 4th floor, the ride up being silent and tense and Piper could almost see the wheels turning in Emma's head as she tried to come up with ways to get Gold to turn and leave.

She could guess that Emma had managed to run into Baelfire, but that he'd said something that spooked her into wanting to leave. What she didn't know but Emma was determined to get Gold out of there and, to be quite honest, she wanted to know why. Emma, of all people, should have understood his drive to get back to his son, especially after how focused she was on getting back to Henry in the Enchanted Forest.

Gold stepped out of the lift instantly when the doors opened and strode down the hall to room 407, moving to the lock and pulling out a small pin from his pocket, starting to get to work on breaking in.

"Stop!" Emma called, "You can't just break in."

"Yeah, well, actually, that's something I'm quite adept at."

"He might not come back."

"Ok," Gold waved it off, "Finding people is what you do, Miss Swan. I'm simply going to assist you. There may be information in here. Who he is, what he does, who he loves…"

Piper frowned, seeing Emma flinch at that behind Gold's back, but Emma kept on arguing, "No, don't do this. There are things called laws."

"I'll be lookout," Henry offered, rushing off to the corner by the elevator to watch for anyone coming their way.

"No…" Emma tried to stop him, but he'd rushed off so she turned to Gold, "You could get arrested!"

"Then my son will have to testify against me," Gold shot back, "And we will be reunited."

"Emma why are you fighting this?" Piper had to ask, "You were as determined as him, more so, to get back to Henry when we were taken to the Forest. What happened?"

But before Emma could answer, Gold managed to get the lock open and pushed his way into the room beyond, Piper right after him, leaving Emma no other choice but to follow. The room was typical, in a way, what one would expect from an average man living on his own in New York, but she saw very small allusions to the Enchanted Forest in nearly every detail. Whatever Baelfire was running from, she knew, deep down, he likely missed his father and his home if even his items that were meant to be so generic and of this world were also mentions of home.

"Gold," Emma tried to call as Henry ran into the room, having seen them break in, "Come on, please. We really shouldn't be here."

"I don't think he's listening," Henry remarked as Gold began to scour the room, Henry moving to help him. Piper wandered over to the books, nearly laughing when she saw they were all fairytale related, or had some sort of quality to them, biographies of the authors and collectors, different versions of them from novelizations to the Grimms, modern takes and even theory books. She turned around, about to tell Gold about them, to try and give him hope that Baelfire hadn't entirely turned his back on his past, when she saw Emma taking a dream catcher off the window and staring at it with a rather intense emotion in her eyes.

"Emma?" she called, almost concerned, Emma seemed a world away.

"You find something, dearie?" Gold turned to her.

"Nothing," Emma shook her head, "Uh, it just looks like a dream catcher."

Gold frowned at that, "Yeah, well, if it's nothing, why are you still holding it?" he eyed her closely and then realized, "You're lying to me."

"Just get back to looking, ok?" she put the dream catcher down and turned around.

But Gold reached out to turn her to him, "No, no, no. You saw something. Tell me."

"You don't know what you're talk…"

"Tell me!"

"Rummy!" Piper strode over, stepping between Emma and Gold, "Calm yourself, you know you get nowhere with women in my family by shouting at them," she reminded him.

There had been a time or two in the past where they had fought, had shouted at each other. The women in her family were…unique in how they reacted to anger but it was always different yet somehow had the same effect, getting through to the men. Snow would never back down and would shout back, Emma seemed to just withdraw and refuse to answer, and she…well she would just smirk and fire back witty retorts till Gold was furious and stalked off to pace off his anger. One time she had even welcomed him to use his magic on her, throw a fireball, do whatever he wanted, and he'd nearly done it, had conjured a fireball and she just crossed her arms, stared him down as though daring him to actually do it…he'd turned and stormed off. The point was that the women in her family were often in control, had the last word, when it came to fights, got the men to realize how ridiculous they were being before they came back to talk. She knew that Gold would get nothing, absolutely nothing out of her or Emma by shouting.

"Now," she continued, "Henry, if you would please go wait in the bathroom till we have finished speaking I would appreciate it."

"But I can help…" Henry tried.

"Please," Piper looked at him, "I will personally fill you in on everything that we say, however I would rather you somewhere close but distant enough incase shouting does occur again."

Henry shifted at that, "You promise?"

"Have I lied to you yet?"

Henry cracked a small smile at that, she had been one of the brutally honest ones with him, "No," he took a breath, "Fine, I'm going," he turned and left the room, heading into a small doorway that led to the bathroom and shutting the door.

"Rummy," she turned to him, "You want information from Emma, you TALK to her. You shout and she shuts up."

"There's nothing to talk about," Emma shook her head, "There's nothing here. The guy's a ghost."

"You know you do the same thing Snow does when she is lying," Piper remarked, "Your eyes keep flicking to the left," Emma pursed her lips at that, not having realized she shared that trait with her mother, "And I often purse my lips when I am displeased by something too," Piper smiled a little, "Seems to run in the family," she nearly laughed when Emma shifted at that, still not 100% accepting of the idea she had such a large family again, "And Snow and I both shift when we're uncomfortable."

"Can you stop that?" Emma asked, not liking the constant family comparisons.

"Can you answer us truthfully?" Piper countered.

"Do you think me a fool?" Gold scoffed, "We both know you're holding back. I want to know what, and why."

"I'm not holding back," Emma tried to lie.

"Did he tell you something?"

"Gold…"

"Did he tell you something?!" Gold snapped, wincing as he felt Piper put a hand on his arm, he was trying, he really was, to take her advice and be calm. He had been able to tell that Emma shut down when she was yelled at too much as well but he wanted answers.

"Nothing," Emma answered, "He didn't say anything."

Piper frowned, "If he said nothing, that means you DID catch him."

"Don't put words in my mouth Piper!"

"Tell me," Gold demanded, "You tell me, or I'm going to make you tell me."

"Rummy," Piper sighed, not reprimanding despite the 'threat' to Emma. She knew how he got, he got angry, he said things, but she knew that he wouldn't ever truly harm or force Emma like what he was implying. Fear was an effective tool, but he seemed to forget that Emma didn't back down easily.

"You don't have magic here," Emma shook her head.

"Oh, I don't need magic."

"You really want to do this? To your girlfriend's niece?" Emma added, knowing it was a low blow and that it was one reason Piper had remained hidden from Snow White, she didn't want people to use her against Gold, but she was NOT about to let him intimidate her.

Gold grit his teeth at that, knowing that she'd hit a nerve, knowing that she knew he wouldn't, he wouldn't ever do something that harmed his Pip, "Do not push me," his voice threatened.

"Don't push me," Emma countered.

"We had a deal!" Gold shouted, as Piper started to rub her head, getting more frustrated with the situation than fearful, "A deal! No one! No one breaks deals with me!"

"Hey!" a voice suddenly shouted as a man stormed into the room, "Leave her alone."

Piper didn't even need more than the man's presence to know he was Baelfire. He was tall, average size and shape, with short hair and a stubblish beard, dark eyes and hair. He looked like Gold, he stood like him, his voice commanded attention like his…and she could hear it.

She gasped as she heard his song, the song of his soul. But it wasn't the sound of it, the way she heard traces of Gold's in the man's song, that had her hand flying to her mouth or her eyes widening as she stared at him in completely shock…it was because she heard traces of HIS song in someone else's. Her eyes flew to Emma and then to Baelfire…before drifting to the bathroom door and locking on it and the song gently drifting through it. In the real world, there were so many people and her magic was so dimmed that she barely heard their songs. If she was alone with someone and really tried to focus she could get a gentle melody in her head. But those from the Enchanted Forest, those with magic, she heard as though she were back in Storybrooke or the Forest itself. And now she realized…

She should have figured it out before, the moment she met Henry, she should have worked it out. But she hadn't known Baelfire's song because the song of a child was different than that of the parent.

What was a child but the harmonization of its parents' melodies?

Baelfire had traces of Gold's and all the others she would assume was Milah's. If you combined Emma's song and Baelfire's…it created a melody that made it hard to trace it to the grandparent, Gold.

She closed her eyes a moment and let out a deep breath…Baelfire…he was Henry's father.

"Bae…" Gold breathed, staring at his son, "You came back for me."

"No," Baelfire nearly spat, "I came to make sure you didn't hurt her. I've seen what you do to people who break deals."

"He would never harm her," Piper stated, though her voice was so quiet from her shock, her gaze flittering between the three people in the room and the bathroom door.

"Please, Bae," Gold pleaded, hearing Baelfire scoff at her words, "Just let me talk…" he took a step towards his boy but Baelfire stepped back.

"I have no interest in talking to you," Baelfire glared, "You can go."

But Gold shook his head, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Get out of my apartment!"

"Neal…" Emma began…and Piper flinched, she had been hoping to take Gold aside and tell him herself what she'd found once the shock wore off, but Emma had forced her hand in knowing his name.

"Emma, I got this," Baelfire…no, Neal, held up a hand.

Gold looked between them, realizing something, "You two know each other…you two know each other. How?"

"You sent me chasing after him," Emma shrugged.

"No, no, no," Gold nearly shouted, taking an unconscious step towards Piper, needing her calming presence to control himself and his shouting. He didn't want this, he didn't want shouting when he finally found his son again, "Stop it! You're lying. How do you two know each other?!"

"Oh Rummy," Piper shook her head, looking at him with an unreadable expression on her face, like a cross between happiness and sorrow and shock and confusion and regret and joy, and so many other emotions, "They more than know each other."

Gold frowned at that, "What do you mean Pip?"

"Henry!" she called out, "Can you come out?"

"What are you doing!?" Emma looked at her in horror, but she saw it, the knowing look in Piper's eyes, and she knew exactly why she'd called Henry out.

"Mom?" Henry made his way out of the bathroom and over to his mother who looked like she was about to faint, "W-what's going on?"

Neal stared at the boy, "Who's this?"

"My son," Emma swallowed.

But Piper shook her head, "Emma…" she gave her a look, "A child is but the harmonization of its parents," she warned, reaching back to take Gold's hand, squeezing it tightly as he froze behind her in realization of what her words meant, Neal watching the action with equal parts shock, curiosity, and confusion, "You tell him, or I will."

"It can't be…" Gold stared between Emma, Neal, and Henry, squeezing Piper's hand back as it hit him as well.

"What?" Neal shook his head.

"Is that Baelfire?" Henry asked, eyeing the man.

"Emma, tell them," Piper demand, "You know what it is like to not know," she gave Henry a pointed look, "YOU had the choice in that. Bae deserves one as well."

Neal's eyes flew to her, hearing her speak of his old name with such familiarity, not calling him Baelfire but Bae, like his father used to. He eyed their hands, watched his father step closer to her, his hand moving to her back as though taking strength from her, just how close were the two?

"I can't…" Emma shook her head, her eyes wide in fear.

"Then you force my hand," Piper swallowed. She knew it wasn't her secret to tell, but she had seen too much of her family suffer over their children and secrets, this was NOT going to happen with Baelfire and Henry, the boy especially deserved to know the truth, "Henry, meet your father."

"What?" Henry blinked, frowning at that, at Piper, "No. My dad was a fireman. He…he died," but when he looked at Emma and saw the tears and wide eyed, open mouthed horror on her face, he felt his stomach drop, "That's what you told me. You said…"

"Emma," Neal breathed, "Is this…my son?"

Emma closed her eyes tightly, "Yes," she whispered.

Neal stared at her in shock, looking between Henry and her while Henry backed away from her only to turn and run, to Emma and Neal's surprise (though more Neal's considering who was standing right beside the woman), to Piper, winding his arms around her waist and burying his head in her stomach. Piper let out a sad breath and let go of Gold's hand to put hers to the back of Henry's head.

Emma felt her heart twist in her chest, but she knew why he'd run to Piper, he'd said it before, Piper had never lied to him, Piper had told him the truth even when SHE couldn't.

"Come on," Piper murmured, glancing at them, before focusing on Henry, "How about you get some fresh air?" she turned and led him to the fire escape, helping him out and making sure he was safely through before she turned to Emma, "Go talk to him."

"Me?" Emma winced.

"You ARE his mother are you not?" Piper shook her head, "I am merely his aunt, and I do believe it is YOU who owes him a rather large apology right now. He will not be able to get that comfort from me."

Emma nodded and turned to make her way out onto the fire escape after her son, leaving Piper in the room with the other father and son. Neal glared at Gold and moved to follow Henry and Emma, but Piper moved into his way, "Give her time."

"And why should I listen to you?" he glared.

But Piper glared right back, "That is my niece and nephew out there," she told him, knowing it sounded bizarre that the mother and son would be her niece and nephew, but that was what she called them in her mind, "My niece, whom you sent to jail, and my nephew who just had a rather large shock. You give them time, and…you give HIM time," she nodded at Gold.

"If she's your niece, why are you trying to help HIM?" Neal pointed in Gold's direction, "Why are you on his side? Do you have any idea what he's done and…"

"Yes, actually, I know every sordid detail," Piper cut in dryly, "Honestly Bae, I have already had Captain Hook try to sway me from your father and that failed rather abysmally when I ripped out his heart and used him to climb a beanstalk," she didn't even bat an eyelash at how his mouth dropped open at that, "I will not turn from him even with his own son trying to dissuade me from my relationship."

"Relationship…" he nearly sputtered at that, he'd seen them hold hands, stand too close, but he never thought…his father…in a relationship, and not even denying it but standing there with a small smile on his face like he was proud that she had said that, that he was proud of her for saying it and defending him. He shook his head and looked at his father, "What enchantment did you put on her?"

"I do believe it is called True Love, Baelfire," Piper sighed.

"Is that what he told you it was?" he scoffed.

"No that is what he proved to me when he woke me from a sleeping curse," she retorted once more, "I love your father, and by extension I could love you as well, but I am not above knocking you out and tying you down till you listen to him if I have to."

Gold would have laughed at that had it not been such a serious moment and had he not seen his son growing more tense at the veiled threats against him, "Baelfire…" he stepped towards him, but Neal backed up, "Please, please. All I want is a chance to be heard."

"Get out," Neal shook his head, not wanting to deal with all this right now.

"Look, you came back to protect Emma," Gold reasoned, "To show that she had lived up to her end of her bargain with me."

"And now she has. You can go."

"No. Our deal was for her to get you to talk to me. If you truly want her deal to be fulfilled, you have but one choice. You have to talk to me."

Neal's jaw clenched, "You got three minutes."

Gold nodded but turned to Piper first, "You should sit down Pip," he moved over to her, gesturing at a small sofa and glancing at Neal as though asking for permission. Neal frowned, seeming confused at his display of attention to the woman, but waved him off, watching as Piper moved to sit down…and put her feet up on the coffee table before her. Gold chuckled at that, seeming amused by her action and pulled a small bottle out of his pocket, pulling two pills from it and handing them to her.

"Must I?" she frowned at the pills in her hand.

"Your shoulder is hurting again, isn't it?" he reasoned, watching her shift in discomfort and wince, "Take them Pip."

"What happened to her?" Neal asked as Piper took the pills and pulled a small bottle of water from her bag to take them with, grimacing after she swallowed.

"Hook shot me with magic resistant bullets," Piper shrugged, wincing again at the motion and reaching up to rub her shoulder gently, "And then he got run over by a car."

Neal shook his head, not even about to ask and turned to his father, "Clock's ticking," he told him, beginning the three minutes.

Gold sighed and straightened to face him, "I know I've made mistakes, but you must believe me. I want to make up for it. There's no greater pain than regret."

"Try abandonment," Neal scoffed.

"Please," Gold begged, "Let me make it up to you."

"How are you going to do that? I grew up alone. I grew up without a father. You can make up for that?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Yes, I can."

Neal shook his head, "Two minutes."

"Come with me and Piper to Storybrooke. There's magic there. I can turn the clock back. Make you fourteen again. We can start over…"

"Fourteen?" Neal stared at him as though he'd gone mad, "I don't want to be fourteen, again. Are you… Are you insane?"

"I can't make up for the lost time, but I can take away the memories. Bae…"

"Take away who I am? No, thanks."

"That would be rather awkward," Piper had to admit, "If his son was suddenly only a year or two younger than him."

"One minute," Neal added.

"Bae…please…" Gold pleaded, "Give me a chance. You once loved me."

"You were once a good man."

"He still is," Piper cut in, making the men look at her, "Look at everything he has done just to get back to you Bae. Everything he has orchestrated, everything he planned and maneuvered just to be able to see you again. He spent centuries with nothing but you on his mind. He has done everything he has with the sole intention of finding his son once more."

"Yeah, well the road to hell is paved with good intentions," Neal scoffed.

"I've changed though Bae," Gold tried again, "Look. I came here, to this city, without magic."

"Yeah, yeah," Neal cut in, "And you're still trying to use it to make up for your mistakes. Still think that that can make it all better. It won't. You can't. You have no idea what I've lived with. You're so worried about you. You know what I've dealt with? Every night, for more years than you could know, the last thing I see before sleep, is the image of you. You and me, over that pit. Your hand…wrapped around mine. And then, you open your grip. And as I fall away, all I can see is your face. Choosing all…this…" he gestured vaguely, "Crap over me. Letting me go. Now, it's my turn. Now I'm letting you go."

"I'm sorry…" Gold whispered.

"I don't care," Neal nearly sneered, "I didn't get closure, so you don't, either. Got to go."

"Oh, Bae…"

"No," Neal shook his head, "Time's up."

"How like your father you are," Piper called as he turned to storm out, "Vindictive, ruthless, cutting, dark. An eye for an eye," she tilted her head to eye him as he paused and looked back at her, "Forcing him to suffer as you did, the way of a villain. I very much approve."

Gold let out a soft breath as he watched what she was doing, Sirens were quite manipulative. She was using exactly what Neal hated about him against him, making him realize he was acting just as he hated his father acting. All the traits she listed, were ones he knew he was, were ones he knew Piper accepted in him, knew she was just as much as he was. But he knew they were traits Baelfire despised, and she was making him realize, in not forgiving him, in not giving him closure, he was acting just like his father.

Like father like son it appeared.

Neal just swallowed hard and turned to stride out of the room, into the bathroom.

Gold sighed and moved to sit beside Piper, reaching out to put his arm gently around her, his leg and heart hurting from all of this.

"Thank you for trying Pip," he murmured to her as she leaned on him.

"That was not a try," she whispered, closing her eyes a moment, the pills making her just a tiny bit drowsy, "That was a success."

"Was it?" he asked, not daring to hope.

"There is a power in words and Sirens know how to manipulate even without music," she smiled against his neck as he pulled her closer, "My words will be ringing in his mind and in his ear. He does not want to be you Rummy and, as sad as that is, it may be what brings him back to you in the end."

"I hope so Pip," he breathed, resting his head on hers.

It wouldn't be till minutes later, when Emma was entering the apartment again and Neal stepped out of his bathroom to speak to her, when Piper had drifted off to a semi-sleep against him, that he would see a small flicker of a gaze in his direction from his son before he went to speak to his own son outside. And in that flicker…he saw it, the words Piper had said haunting him, making him look over at his papa when he could have done what he'd promised and let him go, ignored him, kept away from him.

But his son had looked at him instead.

There was still hope.

A/N: I'm starting to think the karma gods have it out for me for posting so timely for so long before :( This morning I went to upload and post the chapters and my MS word (which I'd edited it on last night) wouldn't let it because apparently I've been using a Trial version of it for the last few months and it expired :( All my MS documents wouldn't open or copy or upload or anything :( I had to run to work and then went to the nearest Staples the second I got out, bought MS word, put it on my computer the minute I got home, and then tried to get the documents opening again :( -sigh- That's what I get for thinking, 'oh, I'll upload the edited chapters to Doc Manager in the morning' which I never really do, I usually edit it in Doc Manager but my internet was doing the weird working/not working thing and I didn't want to risk all the editing disappearing when I went to save :( But I finally got MS working again! Woo! I hope you enjoy the chapter :) I'll do my best to make sure this doesn't happen again and that the stories can really and truly be updated at their normal times again :)

Some notes on reviews...

I like Swan Queen in the sense that they should have some sort of civility for Henry's sake. But I don't like them romantically nor do I think they'll ever be true friends. To me, how Emma reacted with Henry against Regina is something Regina will never get over. In the end, it seemed a lot like a birth mother coming in and telling the adoptive mother that she wasn't his real mother, that she wasn't important, and that she was going to take her son back :( I feel like, even being the Evil Queen, Regina did love Henry and she always did right by him. Keeping him, even knowing that doing so would mean her curse WOULD break was the ultimate moment to me that she did love Henry with everything she had and Emma, and how she treated Regina like she was a monster (just solely in terms of being Henry's mother and none of the Fairytale things) makes me feel like they'll never be true friends but more civil acquaintances for Henry's sake :( I'd love them to have a healthy friendship, but I feel like the battle of adoptive vs. birth mother isn't something that will go away. It might just be me though, because my cousins are adopted and one of my best friends in High School was adopted so the notion of adoptive parents not being important (as I interpreted some scenes) made me dislike Swan Queen as a deep friendship. I hope for friendship of some sort, but I can't see it fully happening. It took Regina 30 years to forgive Snow and move on and I think Henry is a little more important to her than Daniel was :)

I think Piper might just let George suffer his wounds for a while longer ;)

We'll be getting to Hamelin very, very soon ;)


	28. Of Seers and Prophecies

Of Seers and Prophecies

Rumpelstiltskin walked through the tents set up in the army camp, having been called in to the front lines of the Ogre Wars via a royal edict. He'd been so excited, had rushed in to where his wife, Milah, was sewing to show her, so thrilled that he was going. She had been fearful, had tried to keep him back but he knew in his heart this was where he was meant to be. And there he was now, wearing his full uniform, a grin on his face, his back straight, his gait strong, ready for this opportunity, one he was NOT going to let slip through his fingers. This was his one chance, his one chance to redeem his family's honor and name from the cowardice of his father. This was his one chance to prove himself that he was brave, that he was worthy, that he had what it took to be a true man. Fighting in the Ogre Wars was not something anyone in their right mind looked forward to, but this was all he had to go on, this was all he had to prove he was stronger than others, that he was better, that he was capable and masculine and NOT a coward, NOT his father.

He would never ever be his father, the blasted man had ruined his family name, had ruined his reputation as well. After his father had abandoned him, he'd ended up being raised by other women, it wouldn't have been so bad, had one of them been his mother but none were. And because he'd been surrounded by women growing up, the towns children, as soon as they were older, had begun to tease him and taunt him about how he didn't know how to be a man. As he was raised by women, they all doubted he had what it took to be a man, that he couldn't possibly be one, that he'd not have the first idea how to be a true man. He was as good as a woman in their eyes. Not that there was anything wrong with that, he knew his Milah was the strongest, most gracious, most encouraging woman he knew and there were many stronger women out there, Queens and such. But HE was not a woman, he was a man.

He had proven them all wrong the first chance he got, he had been the first to woo a woman and wed her. The spinsters who raised him, the only good thing that he could say that came from it was that he knew what women wanted and what they appreciated and how to treat them. He had been able to woo his Milah, had been able to bed her and, when he'd asked to marry her she'd been crying but said yes instantly. She had actually seemed so intent to marry him that their engagement was the shortest he had ever heard, in no time at all they were wed and now she was his wife.

He grinned, thinking of her, thinking of how he was going to prove himself worthy of her as well, make her an honorable woman, a proud wife. He'd do right by her and he'd prove to everyone she had made a good choice in marrying him. He put his hand on his sword at his side, feeling very much eager to get out there and do battle, take down an ogre or two. Maybe he could return with an ogre's head as proof of his being there.

"Soldier!" a man called to him just as he stepped out of a tent that Rumpelstiltskin was passing.

"Me?" Rumpelstiltskin paused, turning to the man.

"I'm needed at the front," he told Rumpelstiltskin quickly, before leading him over to what appeared to be a wagon with some sort of box on it, a tarp draped over it to keep whatever was inside it hidden, "You guard this crate with your life," he gestured to it, giving Rumpelstiltskin the most serious look he'd ever seen.

Rumpelstiltskin hesitated, eyeing the box warily. Granted, he didn't know much about what weapons they'd use there, what sort of items they had to do battle against the ogres, but whatever it was that required a soldier to guard it with their life on the line…it had to be something either very powerful or very deadly…likely both, "W-what's under there?"

"A prisoner," the man stated, shocking Rumpelstiltskin, "One who could help us turn the tide against the ogres. Careful. It's a tricky beast."

"Yes, sir," Rumpelstiltskin straightened, determined to do this task and see it through to the end, knowing that this would be another test of his strength. He had been ordered to stay, to guard, and he would, he'd do it till he was relieved, no one would get through to this crate and…

"Rumpelstiltskin?" a small, child-like voice called out, feminine, a little girl's.

He stiffened at that, hearing it coming from behind him, from the crate itself. He looked around, glancing through the small clearing he was stationed in, making sure no one was looking, before he turned to the crate. He hesitated a moment before reaching out to pull a cord, opening a small part of the tarp to see a young girl there. His stomach twisted severely at the sight of her. She was just a little girl, her hair flaming red and wildly curled, but what sickened him was that her eyes were sewn shut.

"You're a child!" he breathed, absolutely disgusted that someone would do that to a child!

"Please," she rasped, pointing to a small bucket off to the side, on the ground, with water in it, "I haven't had a sip in days."

Rumpelstiltskin hesitated a moment, "How do you know my name?"

"I'm a seer," she whispered, "I see all," and, to prove it, she held up her hands, her palms out, to show him that she had EYES in her palms.

"No, no, no," he nearly backed away from the sight, sickened, but forced himself to remain there as he'd been ordered, "That's…that's not possible. You must have overheard someone speak."

"Rumpelstiltskin, the son of a coward," the seer mused, "Raised by spinsters. Scared of ending up just like his father. Trying so desperately to be accepted. Did I overhear that?" she smirked, a cruel sort of smirk for a child so young to be wearing, it unnerved him, "I told you. I see all, even what has yet to pass."

"You mean the future?" he stared at her a moment, slowly feeling himself growing more and more intrigued, "You can see the future?"

"Indeed I can…including yours."

He was tempted, oh so tempted to ask her about it, to ask her what the future had in store for him. Would he return home a hero? Would he last to the end of the Ogre Wars? Would he die? What of Milah? Would she be ok? Would she be proud of him? Would she move on or hold onto the memory of him for the rest of her life? What of their home? How would she endure without him? Would she return to her family? Would the villagers treat her any differently for having married him? Or would it work out? Would the wars end and he could return home to his wife? Would things change? Would he finally be accepted and loved by those around him? Would he have respect and power and prestige of having survived the wars?

But he shook his head, seeing her smirk, seeing her knowing she was getting to him, "No, no, no. I…I won't indulge this…dark magic."

Magic always came with a price, everyone knew that, and Dark Magic was especially dangerous. The moment it touched you, the moment you tried it, the moment it got a taste of you it would never leave you. It would fester and grow and spread within you till your soul was consumed by the darkness and your heart was blackened. No, that wouldn't be him, that wouldn't be the man who returned to his Milah.

"Even if what I see concerns your wife?" she taunted, "Milah?"

THAT, however, made him stiffen, made his heart stop in his chest, "Why? Has something happened to her?!"

"Give me water," she demanded first.

He swallowed hard before he leaned down and scooped up a small cup of water, passing it through the bars of the crate and to the girl, "Here," he handed it to her, "Slake your thirst, witch, and speak of what you know of my wife."

The seer took a large gulp of water, "She is already with child."

He let out a breath at that, startled, but…the last time they had been intimate in that…it was their wedding night and, as much as he didn't wish to say it out loud and never would, he hadn't…he hadn't exactly…well he hadn't done what was needed to make a child. Milah, he knew, would not have gone off with another man under his nose, no, she had been so eager and quick to marry him and…

He closed his eyes for a moment, realizing, they had been together once before their wedding night. A few weeks before then…long enough for Milah to work out if she was pregnant or not. She had been with child before they had wed…THAT was the reason she'd been so intent to marry him so quickly after engagement, she had wanted it to seem that the child was born within it, that it had been conceived on their wedding night. He knew that many first born came early at times, a woman's body not quite used to having a child within it, it would be understandable if the baby was born 'early' even if it was truly the proper amount of time for it.

But still, that knowledge alone that his wife was with HIS child…it set his heart pounding and joy rushing through him, "I'm to be a father?" he murmured, as though he couldn't quite believe it.

The girl nodded, "Your true love shall bear you a strong child," she hummed, "Yes, your wife shall give you a son, but your actions on the battlefield tomorrow will leave the boy fatherless."

He looked up at her, startled, "I'm going to die? No, no, no. You…you must tell me how I can stop that happening!"

"Why would you wish it?" she wondered.

"He's my son!"

"Is he?" she grinned dangerously, "You have that much faith in your wife?"

He wanted to glare, he wanted to say yes he did, that he knew it in his heart. But she was placing doubt in his head, she was seeing the truth and if she implied that Milah…but no, no, she had only been with him. He would have heard if she hadn't. The jeers would have been worse, "Yes."

"Your faith would be better placed with your truest love," she sighed, "She shall love you always. She shall love the monster you are. She shall love all of you without issue…does your Milah accept you as you are? Will she accept the actions you take on the battlefield?"

"Milah loves me!" he raged.

"Your true love will love you more, even as the coward you are," she laughed, "You and your son she will love as her own…"

"MILAH already does," he told her, fully convinced that Milah WAS his true love, "Now tell me, how do I stop this!?"

She giggled, "You can't."

He glared at her, "Then I'm done helping you!" he hissed, grabbing the water from her hands.

"For now," she whispered, "Someday, you'll help me again."

"I'll bet Milah isn't even pregnant," he snapped, though he knew in his heart she likely was, she'd been ill just the morning he'd left, "You just said that so I would give you water, and now you're trying to trick me into deserting."

"You shall see," she tilted her head, "Tomorrow, when you see the army ride cows into battle, you will know I speak the truth."

"Cows?" he scoffed, "And who's going to man the catapults? Milk maids? I have had enough with your fiendish lies."

"There is no escaping it. You will have a son, and your actions will leave him fatherless. And your true love will…"

Whatever her words were to be, Rumpelstiltskin heard none of it as he pulled the tarp back over the cage with a glare.

~8~

The prophecies of the seer had come true!

Just as the girl had told him that he would ride into battle on a cow…it had been true, just…not in the way he expected it, Rumpelstiltskin thought to himself as he hobbled through his village, leaning heavily on a walking stick, his knee bloodied and bandaged, sweat on his brow and pain in his eyes. He had been in the camp, standing with the soldiers when he saw it, scores of injured men being carried in on stretchers, all screaming in pain, the ones that were conscious that is. All of them were bloodied and bruised and most were missing limbs, all of them just torn apart and hardly breathing and likely to die.

One soldier had remarked that they were the lucky ones. They were the ones who weren't dead, but who were unable to fight now due to injury. They could be sent back home, alive, their wounds on display as symbols of a noble battle and a help to the front lines. Though he knew their livelihoods would be torn from them. How could they tend their fields or work their forges with missing legs and arms. But still…they were lucky. The ones that were able to fight were sent back to the lines, the ones that never returned…well, they were torn apart limb from limb by the ogres and eaten.

It had been then, as he was watching the soldiers being moved off that he heard the supplies being passed out, had found that a Duke had supplied them saddles…made of cow hide. Among the soldiers, they called the saddles just 'cows.' He would have been riding into battle the next day on a COW, just as the seer had stated. And then he'd realized that everything else had to be true as well. He'd run back to the seer's crate, frantic that he was going to be a father but that he'd die in the battle, leaving the boy fatherless and demanding to know more, but the girl was gone.

He'd railed against that, had struck the crate many times in his anger…till he noticed a sledge hammer resting a few feet away. He looked at it, at his limbs, at the men being carted off back to their homes and lifted the hammer above him…before bringing it down on his own leg, breaking it soundly, and releasing him from his duty.

And now he was home, he was back, he was returning after months away from his wife, to their home, he knew that it would be to either her heavily pregnant belly or possibly his son. When he'd left her, he could guess she was about three months along. It took a very long time to get through training, months of it, and a journey of a month there and a journey back to his home, strained due to needing to walk on his hobbling leg. But he was determined, he was going to make it back to his wife and his son in one piece if it killed him.

He winced at that thought, no not if it killed him, he was going to make it there alive, he was going to see her and hold his son and grow old with Milah and raise his boy and…just the thought of it gave him strength and he found himself rushing as his small dwelling came into view. He rushed forward, ignoring how his leg tugged in its crudely made brace, all that the soldiers would afford him as they looked at him with scorn and derision for how he had injured himself. They KNEW he had done it, they knew he'd taken the coward's way out. Apparently they saw it often enough, not everyone was cut out for the front lines. He hadn't been sent to battle yet, he hadn't been near any ogres, there was nothing in his duties that would have had him handling a hammer or any tool large and powerful enough to cause the damage he'd done to himself. They knew he had chosen bodily harm than facing ogres. The men there didn't blame him, they knew the horrors of the ogre war very well, and, for a moment, he wondered who was really the coward. The men, he could see it in their eyes, wanted to find a way out as well but didn't have the strength to do what he had done.

But none of that mattered now, because he could see her, Milah, standing in the middle of their home…with a baby in her arms, "Milah!" he gasped, "Milah!" he stumbled inside, the woman spinning around to look at him, utterly startled to see him, "Milah! Milah!"

"Rumple?" she whispered.

"What's his name?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the boy instead of his wife's incredulous, disappointed, and horrified gaze.

Milah swallowed hard, "Baelfire."

Rumpelstiltskin let out a hearty laugh at that, over flowing with joy at the knowledge that he had a son and his son was Baelfire, and it was HIS. He knew the seer spoke the truth about many things, but he was certain, he could feel it in his bones that she was only trying to cast doubt in his mind about the paternity of his son, it was HIS son, he was sure of it, "A strong name!" he fell back onto a chair both from joy and crippling pain shooting up his leg, leaving him panting and shaking but smiling a grimacing smile through it.

"Something he'll need if he's to live with the shame of being your son," Milah told him, lifting her chin up to glare at him.

Rumpelstiltskin blinked at her, startled by the venom he heard in his sweet wife's voice, "What…what are you talking about?"

"Rumple, is it true?" she breathed.

"Is what true?"

Her gaze flickered to his bloodied leg, "Did you injure yourself…" she took a breath, "So that you wouldn't have to fight? So that you would be sent home?"

"Who told you that?" he glared at her.

"Everyone!" she snapped, "Rumors travel quickly from the front. Rumple, did you do this to yourself? Did you do it to yourself?!"

"Yes!" he shouted at her voice raising, "A seer told me I was going to die in the battle…"

"You did this because a seer told you to do it?" she gaped at him, as though that were the most idiotic thing she had ever heard.

And for one, brief moment, he saw something flicker in her eyes, something that looked almost like…disappointment. But…that couldn't be. Milah couldn't be disappointed that he'd come back, that he hadn't died in the battle…could she? No. No she wasn't, no there was no reason for that. She loved him! They were married! They had a son! Why would she…why would she be disappointed that he lived.

A small voice that sounded vaguely like the seer's whispered in his mind at that. That Milah had been hoping he'd die in battle. That she'd married him so quickly because she knew that the baby had to be seen as legitimate. But that she hated him. That she'd only agreed to marry him because she knew, eventually, he'd do what his father couldn't and prove himself a man (an idiot) and go running off into the most dangerous situation he could find and get himself killed. She'd be left the grieving widow of a possibly-honorable and brave man and others would take pity on her and her son and she'd be free of him and not looked down upon by others, with every hope of remarriage.

He shook his head, no, that wasn't Milah, this wasn't some plot and exit plan of hers to escape him. No!

"She was right about everything else," he argued, "I left the front to be with you. You and…Baelfire."

"You left because you were afraid!" she cried.

"No…" he shook his head.

"You became what everyone thought you were," she started to sneer at him, "A coward!"

"Stop."

"Just like your father!" she added.

"I am nothing like my father!" he shoved himself to his feet, gritting his teeth at the pain racing up his leg from the sudden jolt and change, "He tried to abandon me. I will never, _ever_ do that to my son," he swore, glaring at her, "That's why I did this. For him. All for the boy. To save him from the same fate I suffered, growing up without a father."

Milah just shook her head at him, "You sentence him to a fate much worse, growing up as your son."

He swallowed hard at that, at the utter despair and loathing he saw in her eyes, feeling like the whispers of the seer in his head were growing truer and truer, that Milah had hoped he would die there, that she had only made a mistake with him and hoped the wars would fix it for her, "What…what…what else could I do?" he inquired of her.

"You could have fought, Rumple," she told him, a harsh note to her voice, "You could have _died_."

He felt his stomach fall from him at that, "You don't mean that," he started shaking his head, tears filling his eyes, "You don't mean that."

But she did, he knew she did. She wanted him gone, she couldn't accept what he'd done, why he'd run, how he'd done it. She couldn't bear the thought of being with him as he was. If he'd returned a hero she would have been thrilled, if he'd returned dead, she'd have been freed. But this…this was something she couldn't accept, she couldn't accept who he was.

Milah looked down at Baelfire in her arms as he started to fuss and cry, hardly sparing him a thought before she shoved him into Rumpelstiltskin's arms and ran out of the room, grabbing a bucket, pretending she was seeing to her chores, chores she'd have to take on doubly now that he was injured, and left.

"Oh, it's alright, Bae," Rumpelstiltskin rocked his son to him, "It's alright. Your Papa's here. And I promise…I will never, ever leave you," he swallowed hard and looked at the door his wife had left through and back to the baby, "I will never abandon you and I will never try to change you Bae. I love you, just the way you are and…" he closed his eyes, the words of the seer echoing in his head…

He'd fought against her words so hard, to believe his wife and his 'true love' were the same person…but the seer had been right, they weren't. Milah couldn't be, not if she was acting like this, not if she couldn't accept him or listen or support him. He knew Milah considered their marriage and Baelfire's birth a mistake, but now…now he was as well. But it meant…somewhere out there, was his true love, somewhere his true love was waiting for him.

"And one day," he continued, "One day we'll find you a mama who loves you just as much as I do. A mama who loves me for just who I am," he leaned in and kissed his son on the forehead, "And we'll protect you Bae. I'll protect both of you."

~8~

Many years later, the Dark One, otherwise known as Rumpelstiltskin, stepped into a clearing in the forest, seeing a campfire burning in the middle of it. He paused as he approached it, looking around for the woman he'd been trying to find for years now. His sources had led him there, but the seer was nowhere to be found.

Till only a moment later, when the girl, no woman now, stepped out from behind a tree, "I've been expecting you."

He spun around to face her, grinning at her dangerously, no longer feeling the pity had had for her as a child now that she was grown into an adult, "Then you know exactly why I came here."

"What I foretold during the Ogres War has finally come to pass," she murmured.

"Well, in a manner of speaking," he rolled his eyes at her, "I, uh, hobbled myself on the battlefield. Was branded a coward. My wife..." he nearly spat the word out, no longer feeling the love and affection he'd felt for her. No, ever since that day, things had not been good between them, not at all, and it became all the more clear to him that his wife didn't love him or their son the way a wife and mother should. He had waited and searched for this 'true love' that the seer had prophesized for him, but none ever came, no one wanted to get close to Rumpelstiltskin and none now dared attempt such an action with the Dark One. But that wasn't why he was there, he didn't care about this true love of his, no, he wanted information about his son, "She ran away and left me. Then, my son was called to the front. Oh! Then I became The Dark One. Then, Bae left me. So, yes. My actions on the battlefield left my son fatherless," he nodded, "But…it would've been nice to know about all that pesky detail."

"Knowing would not have made a difference," she stated, "You still would have been powerless to escape your fate."

"Just…like…you," he glared, making a fist with his hand, cutting off her air, making her sink to her knees as she struggled to breathe while he magically strangled her for what she'd done, for how her words had led to his boy being lost, "Now you know exactly why I came here."

"You want to find your son!" she managed to rasp out.

"Indeed," he nodded, letting his hold on her go for a moment.

The seer gasped and panted, before pushing herself up straighter and moving her hands around as though she were trying to search the ground with the eyes on her hands, lifting them to the sky and before her, moving them all around as she looked through time for him, "You will find him and..."

"And what?" he demanded.

"You will find your true love as well..."

"I searched for her," he glared, "She was nowhere to be found."

"Not yet," she agreed, "She has not been born yet."

He nearly rolled his eyes at that, that would have been useful to know as well, "How?" he asked instead, "How will I find them both? And this time, don't leave out a single detail."

The seer continued to look with her hands, "It will not be an easy path. It will take many years…" she took a breath, "Your love will find you, she will seek you out, she will...need your help, need your protection and shall find far more in your heart," he scoffed at that, "Your son though..." she frowned, "He require a curse. A curse…powerful enough to rip everyone from this land."

"Yes, yes, there's more, I know it," he rolled his eyes, "Tell me."

"You will not cast the curse," the seer told him, "Someone else will. And you will not break the curse…someone else will."

"My true love?" he guessed, thinking of how only true love was powerful enough to break any curse.

"No...but...one like her...close to her."

"Who IS she?" he shook his head, torn between wanting to know about how to save his son and a hint of curiosity as to who this true love of his was if the seer kept coming back to her.

"Your nightingale," the seer wheezed, starting to shake as though it were sapping her strength to give him this information, "The song of your heart. As cruel and cold and deep as the sea, as harsh and unyielding, she will make a match for you but balance you. She will stay the darkness in you, find the man beneath the beast, but love both equally..."

"Just tell me!" he demanded, getting frustrated with all her half-answers and cryptic words, he wanted names, he wanted facts, he wanted dates and details and useful information!

"I don't know," she dropped her arms, seeming pained and exhausted from even that small look, "Even my powers have limits."

"Ah, ah, ah," he wagged his finger at her, starting to smirk again, "Not good enough, dearie," he made a fist once more, strangling her again, trying to coerce her into telling him more.

"If you want to see the path you must take, there is only one way," she managed to groan out between struggles for breath, "Take this burden from me!" she held out both her hands to him, her palms up, as he let her go.

"Mmm," he hummed, considering it only a moment, "Gladly," he grinned, striding over to her and placing his hands on hers, wincing as a white light shot out from her hands, making her scream as he gripped her hands tighter, not about to risk letting this power go. He frowned though, seeing images rush through his head, a man in an odd room with grey tall buildings visible through a window, a boy with brown hair, a flash of golden hair, forest green eyes, a faint melody, a sign for a town unlike one he'd seen before, odd buildings, people in odd clothes, a swan...

"I can't…see…anything," he shook his head, trying to hold onto just one image but they all kept slipping away, "It's too much. It's nothing but a jumble!"

"The future is a puzzle with many pieces to be sorted, a song with notes out of order," the Seer trembled, "In time, you will learn to separate what can be, from what will be."

Rumpelstiltskin let go of her hands in anger, the woman sinking to the ground, falling flat onto her back, weak and fading with the loss of her power, "This is why you wanted to give me your power. To free yourself from this torment."

"In time, you will work it all out," she wheezed, only earning a glare from Rumpelstiltskin before he turned to storm away, "Wait," she begged, "As gratitude, I offer you one piece of the puzzle," she raised her hand, using her last bit of strength and magic to look one final time, "You _will_ be reunited with your son, and it will come in a most unexpected way."

"How?" he frowned.

"A boy…" she whispered, and he thought on the young boy with brown hair he'd seen, "A young boy will lead you to him. But beware, Rumpelstiltskin, for that boy is more than he appears. He will lead you…to what you seek. But there will be a price. The boy…" she took a shuddering breath, "Will be your undoing..." before her hand fell to the side and her head lulled, her chest ceasing to rise as she passed.

Rumpelstiltskin hardly batted an eye at the body of the woman before him, grinning, not at all perturbed she'd just prophesized his death because of a boy. A BOY! A child was NO match for the Dark One.

And so he merely giggled, already coming up with a means to ensure that prophecy never happened with a simple shrug of his shoulders, "Then I'll just have to kill him."

A/N: I don't think Piper would have been very happy if she knew the boy was Henry and she was there for this lol ;)

As for this chapter...I wanted to give a little hint of Rumple's background and when I saw a seer talking about his future I wanted to work Piper in ;)

Milah though, I wasn't ever really sure what to make of her. We see her being so sweet and loving and worried for her husband at first, and then she just does a 180 so I thought, maybe there was more to it than we see. Maybe she was sort of hoping that he'd have gotten himself killed and left her as a widower. I really can't see how a woman who was begging him not to go would be angry that he came back unless it had been a ruse to make him want to go more? If that makes sense. I feel like we don't really see enough of her to really understand her :/

Some notes on reviews...

I can say that the empathetic Rose for Regina's life as Snow's step mother is still there, buried way WAY down, and there is one key thing that Piper needs in order to move past how she feels for Regina now, but as for how she'll react to Regina willing to give her life, we'll have to wait and see ;)

My Merlin spin-off was slightly delayed :( I'm hoping to get that and my DW UNIT story up by this weekend, the 5th and 6th the absolute latest ;) So we might get it earlier ;) I can say I already have the first chapter largely written, it just needs a little more to it and an edit and I'll be ready to post ;) Let's just say we'll see a bit of a magical fight between siblings and a reference to a rather 'famous' movie kiss for another pair of characters too ;)


	29. The Queen Is Dead

The Queen Is Dead

Piper was walking through New York with Gold beside her, Emma in front of them, with Neal and Henry before her, the two men were talking quietly, Emma watching them tensely, while she held a phone to her ear, smiling as she heard someone pick up, "Happy Birthday Snow," she said instantly, knowing that Snow would likely hang up if she said anything at all before that.

Mary Margaret was silent on the other end, "You…you remembered."

"Of course I did," she smiled to herself sadly, "I have never forgotten your birthday Snow, not ever. I had hoped that this year I could be with you for it, I do have 28 years to make up for, but…"

"What about before then?" Mary Margaret asked her quietly.

"Before? The curse?"

"Yeah," she murmured, "You…you made me think you were dead. You made me think I was alone and…"

"Did you not receive my gifts?" Piper started to frown.

"Gifts?"

She sighed, "Of any day of the year, Snow, the one day that I wished I could be with you more than anything was today. I could not though, so I sent you a snowbell, just one, via a bluebird, just to…"

"That was YOU?" Mary Margaret gasped.

Piper let out a relieved breath that she had received the flowers that she had been named after, "So you DID get them."

"I just thought it was the birds being kind," Mary Margaret replied.

"No," she shook her head even though Mary Margaret couldn't see it, "I had to charm those little demons to just get close enough to give them one and tell them to go to you. I wished _I_ could be there with you Snow, I wish I could be there right now. I know how hard today is for you."

It was the hardest day of her cousin's life, she knew, a day that should have been brightened with love and joy had forever been tarnished with death. Today wasn't just Snow White's birthday, but it was the day that her mother had died as well. Ages ago, when Snow had been but 10 years old and she 8, the Queen, her aunt Eva, had fallen ill. Well, that wasn't entirely true, she had been ill before then, but had seemed to hide it from Snow and her for their sakes. But she'd grown so weak that day, just hours before Snow's birthday, she'd fallen and been forced to bed. She and Snow had gone on a desperate quest to find a way to save the Queen but they failed.

Snow failed.

She winced at that, at her thought of that moment where hope had been lost and Eva had passed to the afterlife, the funeral that had been the next day, Snow's birthday. The choice had been there, a means to save the queen, but Snow hadn't taken it, and because of that Eva had died. She had never ever expressly said a word about her thoughts on that moment to Snow, she knew that her cousin had had to live with the guilt of knowing she had had a way to save her mother in the palm of her hand (literally) and had refused it. Snow had been so torn apart, so guilt ridden, so devastated by what happened that she couldn't bring herself to tell her cousin what she thought, what she truly thought. She'd buried the feeling but…it came out from time to time as they grew older, got worse when she saw her cousin making decisions that she knew would lead to more harm for her and her family.

She and Snow had had one terrible argument once about something similar to Eva's death, she'd been harsh to her cousin and even now she hadn't taken back what she'd said. Because she had been right. Snow, being raised by Leopold (and even if Eva had been alive, she knew that it would be the same, Snow would possibly be even worse with all Eva's talks of being pure and good and fair and kind and other emotions that not all rulers could afford), she had aspirations of being just like her father, to be kind and easy going and beloved, to see every single person in her kingdom happy above all else. But kindness and empathy could only get a ruler so far and they were the emotions that could be the easiest manipulated.

She shook her head, now was NOT the time to bring up past demons she and her cousin shared. She knew that she had many, many characteristics that Snow didn't like, that she had never liked, that she complained about but put up with and accepted. There were many things about her that Snow wasn't pleased with, there was many things about Snow that SHE wasn't pleased with either, but all that could wait till this was sorted and today was NOT the day to go over them.

"But…" she added, "I did manage to find a gift for you this year."

"Rose, please tell me you didn't do a deal with Gold to give me something from his shop," Mary Margaret asked.

Piper laughed at that, knowing that there were a few trinkets here and there that Gold had in his possession that belonged to various people throughout the town, "No, though I should like to point out that I DO get rather spectacular deals," she glanced at Gold and winked at him when she saw him starting to smile, clearly eavesdropping on her conversation, "That is not the gift."

Mary Margaret sighed, "What is it?"

"You should be finding out rather soon," Piper remarked, "I believe David is going to work soon?"

"Yes?" Mary Margaret sounded curious about it.

"Then you shall find out what it is then."

It was a tiara…one that Gold had had in his shop, the tiara that Eva had gifted Snow with before she'd died. SHE hadn't purchased it from Gold, she hadn't been lying when she said that, no…it was the person who had purchased it that was the gift. The woman had wanted to just anonymously leave the tiara outside Mary Margaret's apartment, but she had insisted that the woman put a note with it, had convinced her to let Mary Margaret know she was alive as well. The woman had listened, because she knew who she was, beyond the Piper, she knew her as Rose Red, she was one of the few in town who did.

Johanna, Snow White's most beloved maids, a friend of her mother, one who took care of her after Eva died but before Regina was her step mother. She was so close to Snow and she knew that for Mary Margaret to learn she was alive, to have someone there with her on such a day, would be gift enough. She'd only requested that her typical snowbell be left with the gift as well and Johanna had promised it would be.

Mary Margaret was silent for a long moment, "I wish I knew it was you, Rose," she murmured, "That the flowers always came from you."

"I know," Piper's smile started to fall, "But I will stand by my choice Snow, I know I hurt you, letting you think I was dead. I would do far worse to protect you though, you know that. I will always do whatever I can to keep you safe."

"I know," Mary Margaret mimicked, "Thank you though, for the snowbells. They always made me smile to get, even if it was for a moment."

"Then my nefarious plots worked out," she joked, making Mary Margaret laugh, "I will call you later Snow, once I am certain that you have found your gift and see how you enjoyed it."

"I'll look forward to it," Mary Margaret remarked, "I miss you already Rose."

"I miss you as well, but we shall be back to Storybrooke soon enough," she glanced at Gold, seeing his smile starting to fall and she knew that he was thinking about what would happen if Neal refused to return with them, "Goodbye."

"Bye," Mary Margaret spoke before ending the call.

"So, uh…" Neal was saying, glancing back at them and then to Henry, "You like pizza?"

"Yeah," Henry smiled, "Let me guess, you're going to tell me the best pizza's in New York, and I got to try it, right?"

"Actually, it's in the Kingdom of Damarian on the north shore of the Dragon Fields of Zorn," Neal said seriously before chuckling, "Nah, it's in New York. Here, let's get you a slice."

"So you're really from there?"

"Yeah, I am," Neal opened a door to a nearby pizza parlor, allowing Henry in, before following his son without waiting for the three to follow.

"Do you think that we should…" Emma nodded at the parlor.

"If we were welcome, I feel confident an invitation would have been extended," Gold sighed, "It's a sad truth that the people closest to us are the ones capable of causing us the most pain."

"The most powerful betrayals never come from your enemies," Piper remarked wisely, linking her arm with Gold's, "Trust is hard to give and those who hold it hold the secrets that can wound you the deepest."

Gold leaned over and pressed a kiss to her hair, silently telling her that would never ever be him, he would never hurt her like that, she could trust him, he would never betray her. She smiled and looked up to him, catching his lips in a gentle kiss, promising him the same as Emma shifted beside them, really not used to this and starting to be slightly disturbed.

"This is so weird," she muttered.

"What is?" Piper glanced at her.

"You two," she gestured at them, "I mean…for Henry's sake can you tone it down?"

"Why should we?" Gold frowned, not sure why she was so set to see them apart.

"You're his grandfather," she gestured at Gold, "And she's your girlfriend so…like a step-grandmother? But she's also his other grandmother's cousin or sister or whatever the hell you two call each other that makes me your niece and Henry your nephew and it's just…weird."

Piper raised an eyebrow, "As weird as his step-great grandmother also being his adoptive mother?"

Emma blinked at that, not having thought of that, before groaning, "Great, the kid's gonna be so scared from how dysfunctional this family is."

"He seems fine to me," Gold remarked, glancing into the parlor to see Henry trying a slice of pizza and grinning.

"You can rest assured Emma, none of us will harm Henry or allow harm to come to him," Piper told her, "That is at least a common ground for all of us."

Emma let out a breath, "I just feel like…we're all going to just let him down. I already did," she shook her head, "Guess my lying to him just caught up with me."

"Ah, give him time," Gold shrugged it off, "He'll forgive you."

"Is that you projecting your own hopes?"

"My son and I have some way to go."

"I can see that."

"You will both get there eventually," Piper reassured them.

"I need you to speak to him," Gold turned to Emma, "Try and convince him to come back to Storybrooke with us."

"If I recall, there was only one favor I owed you, and I think I'm paid up."

"Then do it for Henry," Piper stated, "Or would you like to experience what Regina did and wake up to find he ran off in the middle of the night to find his father?"

Emma let out a long breath at that, knowing that it had to be something truly important to Gold if Piper was willing to try and guilt her with sympathy for Regina of all people.

"He did it for you," Gold nodded, "He'll do the same for his father."

"Until Neal lets him down," Emma countered, "Which he will. It'll be a hard lesson, but then at least Henry will understand that I lied to protect him."

"Were you?" Piper tilted her head, "Or were you protecting yourself?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You want a second chance with that man," Gold seemed to realize as well.

"What makes you think that?" Emma narrowed her eyes, trying to refrain from doing any of the things that Piper had pointed out before were her tells.

"The look on your face."

"You have no idea what…"

But whatever she was about to say was cut off when Neal and Henry stepped out of the parlor, "What are we talking about?" Neal eyed them.

"Emma," Henry turned to her, "Neal wanted to show me the museum. Do you think we can go back to the apartment and get my camera?"

"Yeah," Neal shrugged when Emma looked at him, seeming surprised he would recommend a museum, "Well, I…kids like culture, right?"

"And men like treasures," Piper remarked, thinking about the similarity between the Dark Castle and some museums, Baelfire really didn't see just how like his father he was.

"Sure," Emma nodded, "Yeah, that's fine. You like the New York pizza?" she glanced at Henry.

"Yeah," he grinned as they turned to walk off, "It's delicious, cheesy, and doesn't lie."

Emma winced at that.

"You'd like it Piper," Henry smiled at her.

Emma winced again at that reminder.

~8~

The small group of five was walking down the street towards Neal's apartment building, Henry and Gold speaking as Piper walked beside him, her arm still linked through his, Emma and Neal behind them.

"So, should I call you grandpa, now?" Henry grinned slyly up at Gold.

Gold sighed though Piper could see a small quirk in the corner of his lips for just the briefest moment, likely thinking about how that was just a reminder that his son had a son of his own, "Call me whatever you'd like."

"Awesome," Henry nodded, and glanced around him up at Piper, "What should I call you though Piper?"

"I will have to agree with Rummy," she smiled at him, "Whatever you wish to call me Henry I will be fine with. I understand our particular relationship is rather odd."

He nodded, "My grandmother is also my aunt," he muttered to himself, not hearing Piper inhale sharply at that.

Gold looked at her and the quirk in his lips was back as he saw the barest hints of possible tears in her eyes at that. She knew that Henry had accepted her as family, as Snow White's cousin (or sister as they liked to call each other), that he had even come to see her as an aunt too despite the distance in lineage between them and that she wasn't actually his aunt, technically. But to hear him call her that out loud, to HEAR that he really did see her as an aunt, it touched her. Henry was her cousin's daughter's son and that made him family, that automatically gave him a place in her hardened heart and earned him her unwavering and unending protection. And now, to hear him call her a 'grandmother' as well?

THAT was what was truly touching to her. How easily Henry was accepting that Gold was his grandfather, that she was someone so important to him that, even being unwed, she was still seen in Henry's eyes to be a permanent part of his life, to have a permanent spot in Gold's heart. Henry clearly didn't think that she would be leaving or that her relationship with Gold would be ending any time soon. Henry was truly a remarkable boy with the biggest heart ever to accept her and Gold so easily in that role.

Henry glanced at her, pulling her out of her thoughts, "Can I just call you Piper though?" he asked, not wanting to hurt her or upset her by not using a title like gramps or gran like he did with Snow. It was just…he'd known from the moment that he learned who Emma was in the story and who Emma was to HIM, that Snow White was his grandmother and prince Charming was his grandfather. This was new, and he'd only known Piper as the Piper, not as his potential grandmother. Even though he knew Mary Margaret from his years growing up, he knew _Snow White_ as his grandmother.

Wow, his family really was complicated wasn't it?

"That is just fine," Piper nodded, just knowing that he did consider her family, doubly so from Mary Margaret and Gold was enough for her.

"Great," he beamed at her, before glancing back as his parents, "So, Neal, do you think we can take the subway?"

"Yeah," Neal nodded, looking ahead, pulling himself away from his conversation with Emma. Piper had vaguely heard them quietly mention Storybrooke and could only assume Emma had been attempting to convince him to come with them, "Sure, of course. Let's go get that camera," he pulled the door open to the apartment building as they reached it, allowing them all in to the lobby.

"Come on," Henry tried to move over to the intercom panel, not entirely sure how it worked to get into a building with such an electronic lock to it.

"Here," Neal chuckled, "I got it," he stepped over to the door to the building and unlocked it with his key, allowing Henry in to the actual building, the two moving for the stairs while Emma, Gold, and Piper stayed behind, "So after this, maybe Times Square?"

"So, uh, did you talk to him?" Gold glanced at Emma.

"He said it's complicated," she sighed.

"Oh," he looked down, "I see."

"Well, maybe he just needs some time. I don't know. It…"

Emma was cut off when Piper turned and ran for the door to the lobby, reaching for the lock just as Hook appeared on the other side of the glass door and slammed it open, sending Piper crashing back into the wall behind the opening door. He rushed at Gold, shoving Emma to the side with a hard hit to the face, before he grabbed Gold and pushed him into the wall, pinning him against it for only a moment, staring the man in the eyes as he stabbed his hook down and into the center of Gold's chest.

"Tick tock," Hook hissed, "Time's up, crocodile. You took Milah, my love, my happiness. And for that, I now take your life!"

An angry shout sounded from beside him before Hook went flying to the side, Piper's body and shoulder slamming into him, half tackling him off of Gold as Emma scrambled to her feet and grabbed what looked like a small metal pole with an astray on the end of it and slammed it against Hook's head, knocking him out. She panted, dropping it and turned to see Piper was already at Gold's side, holding his hand with her good one, the man panting and wincing.

"Rummy!" Piper gasped, squeezing his hand.

"Gold, are you alright?" Emma ran over, and knelt on his other side.

Neal rushed down the stairs, having heard the commotion from the stairwell as he waited for Henry and spotted his father on the ground, "What the hell is going on?"

"One of your dad's enemies found us," Emma told him, glancing up as he came closer.

"Hook," Neal glared at the man on the ground.

"You know him?"

"Is this really the time Emma!?" Piper nearly snapped at her as Gold flinched and groaned, squeezing her hand.

Neal hurried to them, crouching down and gently tugging back Gold's shirt to look at the wound, only to pull away and see blood on his fingers, "Papa?" he breathed.

Piper swallowed hard, closing her eyes a moment before taking a breath, "Bae, take him to your apartment, Emma," she glanced at her, standing, "Help him."

"What about Hook?" Emma frowned.

Piper's jaw tensed as she looked down at the unconscious man, "Leave him to _me_."

"Whoa, whoa, wait," Emma jumped up and grabbed Piper's arm as she took a step towards the fallen man, "No."

"Emma…"

"Look you're angry, I get it," Emma squeezed her arm, "But right now we do NOT need you to go all Pied Piper on him…"

"The PIED Piper?!" Neal looked at her, shocked, not quite sure what he'd been expecting. Clearly she was from the Enchanted Forest and there weren't many girls named Piper from what he knew, but the Pied Piper was not at all who he was expecting his father to be courting…

Actually, thinking on that a moment and what he knew of her…he could see it.

"Emma," Piper turned to her, "Help Rummy, leave Hook to me."

Emma just shook her head, "No, we need him alive to find out how he got here and how he found us."

"I can get that out of him easily."

"Your magic is weaker here."

Piper smirked dangerously and Neal could see what might have attracted his father to her, the glint in her eye, was nothing but darkness and something that spoke of how much pleasure she would get out of torturing the man on the floor, "You think I only know methods that involve my magic?" she shook her head, "He will sing like a bird when I am finished with him."

"Yeah, how?"

"Like this," Piper turned and grabbed Gold's cane in her good arm, turning to Hook and raising it, clearly about to try to beat the ever loving daylights out of him for what he'd done, when Emma rushed forward and grabbed her from behind, holding her back as she struggled, not even caring if her squeezing Piper would harm her shoulder, if it would get her to stop.

"And people will hear!" Emma reminded her, "This isn't Storybrooke, this is New York, this is the real world, there are different laws and…"

"I am well aware of the laws, thank you," Piper snapped, before trying to calm herself, not wanting to take her anger out at Emma, "What would you propose we do?"

"YOU help Neal get him upstairs," Emma told her, "I don't know, hold doors open, push buttons, something. _I_ will deal with Hook."

"Pip…" Gold wheezed, his face scrunched in pain.

Piper swallowed down the anger she felt, the fear, and pulled her way out of Emma's hold, moving to Gold's side, letting him take her arm, knowing that his cane would be of no use to him now. She threw Emma a warning look over her shoulder as she helped Neal bring his father to the elevator up. The two of them hurried down the hall, Piper opening the door to the apartment for Neal, startling Henry as his father brought Gold in and placed him down on the couch, Piper moving to sit beside him instantly, taking his hand in her own.

"Found a storage room and locked our stab-happy pirate in there," Emma told them as she rushed into the room a moment later, "Shouldn't be causing anyone else any problems. And get this, he had a map on him. It looks like he sailed his ship here."

"How'd he get a pirate ship into New York?" Neal frowned.

"It is invisible," Piper muttered, wanting so badly to stroke Gold's hair in comfort, so she switched his hands to hold the one in her sling and proceeded to do just that.

"Don't worry," Emma looked at Henry, "He's not going to hurt any of us."

"He already did Emma," Piper told her, a harsh note in her voice. She couldn't help but think, if Emma had just let her keep Hook's heart, let her have the control over him instead of leaving him alive but chained up, that this wouldn't have happened. Gold would have gotten his revenge on the man as he'd wanted and he wouldn't be hurt right now.

"But is Mr. Gold going to be ok?" Henry frowned.

"Henry, he's going to be fine," Neal promised.

Henry hesitated, glancing at his father, not sure if he believed him, and moved to Piper's side. True Neal hadn't lied to him yet but…just thinking about all the adult figures in his life that lied, especially in the parent department, all he could think about was that Piper had been open and honest with him from the start, answering his questions truthfully and she was not one to lie to herself about something like this either, "Piper?" he stepped next to her, "Is he going to be alright?"

Before she could answer though, Gold reached out and grabbed him by the shirt, yanking him forward, his face contorted in pain, sweat on his brow, "You stay away from us! You caused this. You brought us back here. You did this! You…"

He was cut off gently by Piper shifting, her slinged hand taking one of Henry's at his side, her other good hand softly resting on Gold's wrist that was grabbing him. Neal watched with a small frown as, at that simple touch, Gold released Henry and turned his hand, sliding it to take Piper's.

"I'm sorry," he panted, looking at Piper, his anger gone, "I'm sorry. I…"

"Shh…" Piper whispered, "I understand," she told him, moving his hand to press the back of it to her heart, "It will be alright Rummy. You are in pain, I understand…" she lifted his hand to kiss the back of it, before returning it, "Sleep?" she asked, sounding more like she was asking permission for something than requesting him to do it.

He winced, biting his lip as a spasm of pain hit him and nodded.

She smiled and started to hum a faint tune, a lullaby, under her breath, the trio watching in slight aw as Gold's eyelids started to droop till they had fallen shut, his breathing evening out, his face relaxing only slightly.

"Your magic works here," Neal breathed, seeming stunned by that.

"Slightly," Piper nodded, "It is more powerful in Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest…"

"I'll say," Emma muttered, thinking about how shocked Piper had looked when she tried using her magic in the Enchanted Forest.

"But it does work a bit even outside it," she sighed, "It is weak, but I can at least manage soothing a boy to bed."

Neal frowned at that, "You have a son?" he guessed, not getting the sense that she had raised Henry in anyway.

"Adopted, yes," she nodded, "Pinocchio."

"August!?" Neal gaped at her, clearly not knowing that bit of information from the man he'd run into a handful of times.

Piper blinked at him, "You…know August?" clearly that was another bit of information that SHE didn't know either, "He…he MET you? And he failed to tell me?"

"Well," Neal shrugged, "I think he knew I was running from dad…and if he knows who you are to him…" he shrugged again.

Piper let out a breath at that, it did make a bit of sense though she was very unhappy to hear this. August, for all her attempts to tell him that the Dark One wasn't quite so evil as everyone thought, he would always fear the man even if that fear diminished over the years with her. Two little boys from a world with magic, lost in a realm without it, she could see an empathy August likely felt for Neal, she could understand…but she was going to have a very, VERY serious discussion with August when she found him again about all this.

"We need to help him," Piper declared, focusing back on the most pressing matter.

"We got to get him to an ER, fast," Neal agreed.

"No, I mean… we must return to Storybrooke, NOW."

"Why?" Henry frowned, sensing something more to it than that.

"Because of this," she gently tugged Gold's shirt back to reveal the wound, now looking yellow/green in color, something she'd spied when he'd jerked forward to grab Henry.

"What the hell is that?" Emma gaped.

"Poison," Piper sighed.

"It's one of Hook's," Neal frowned, "There's no antidote for it here though. Not in this realm."

"There has to be some way to help him," Henry looked at the adults.

"There may be," Piper nodded, "But to combat a poison from the Enchanted Forest, we would need connections to it. Our greatest chance is magic."

"Storybrooke," Emma nodded, understanding, "There's magic there now."

"I'll get a car," Neal turned to head for the door.

"We need something faster than that," Piper shook her head.

"What about Hook's ship?" Henry offered, "I read about it in the book, the Jolly Rodger is the fastest vessel in all the realms!"

"Well, that's great, but who's going to captain it, since the only guy qualified wants Gold dead?" Emma deadpanned.

"I can do it," Neal straightened.

"You?" Emma gave him an incredulous look, "You know how to sail a pirate ship?"

"Yeah. I do," he nodded, pulling out a phone to text someone.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting us a car."

"I thought you were suddenly a pirate and were going to take a ship."

"Yeah, well, we still got to get his ass to the ship."

Emma had to agree there was that, "So you know Hook?"

"It's a long story. Short version, is this world wasn't my first stop when I left home."

"No?"

"Baelfire was lost centuries ago Emma," Piper told her, "He would be centuries old now if he had been here that long."

Neal looked down at his phone as it buzzed, "That should be our ride. Hang tight," he turned to answer the phone, moving to the bathroom to speak in private.

Piper let out a sigh as her own phone rang and picked it up, frowning instantly at the voice on the other end, "Snow?"

"Rose!" Mary Margaret gasped, "Oh thank god! Do you still have Gold's dagger?"

Piper blinked at that, and looked at her other booth than the one with the pipe in it, "Always," her frown deepened, "Why? What has happened?"

"Cora found Regina," Mary Margaret told her, making Piper stiffen at the news, "And now they're both trying to find his dagger to…to control him or become him or something, I don't know, but they seem to think it's IN Storybrooke."

"They found the map then?"

Mary Margaret was silent a moment, "…you know about the map?"

"I was there when Rummy made it," she sighed, "He has a second dagger Snow, a false one. He was using it as a decoy incase something like this happened, where an enemy wanted to try and find his dagger and use it against him. He did not want them to seek me out or try to harm me to find it so he created a second one disguised to look like it."

"He…he really wants to keep you safe, doesn't he?" Mary Margaret murmured.

"Yes," Piper nodded to herself, "As much as I do him."

"We can't let Regina or Cora know it's a fake one," Mary Margaret determined, "I confronted Regina before, she knows that I'm aware they're looking for it. They'll be watching David and I. They probably guessed I'd contact Gold to find the dagger and protect it. We'll go find the decoy, make it seem like it's the real one. Maybe…maybe even 'let them' take it, make them think they won. That'll keep Gold safe till you get back, buy us some time, right?"

"It might," Piper agreed.

"Good, so that's what we'll do. Where is it?"

"Hidden on the face of the clock in the tower."

"Ok," Mary Margaret took a breath, "We'll go get it."

"Let me know how you fare Snow and please…be careful."

"I will, I'll see you soon but I have to go, the sooner we get to the dagger the better."

"Goodbye," Piper called.

"Bye!" Mary Margaret answered before hanging up, Piper looking up at Emma and Henry as they listened to all that, able to hear Mary Margaret's voice from how loud and frantic she'd been speaking.

"They ok?" Henry asked.

Piper nodded, "Snow wishes to try and trick Cora."

"Think that'll work?" Emma frowned.

Piper glanced at Gold, the man's breath coming unevenly and reached out to take his hand again, "All we can do is wait and see. But…yes," she nodded, "I do. I trust Snow. I was speaking truly when the curse broke, she would never allow someone to kill my true love anymore than I would allow someone to kill David."

"You had no problem torturing the guy," Emma reminded her.

"And he had no qualms with trying to run me through with a sword," Piper countered offhandedly, glancing at Emma, "Snow's stepmother tried to kill her. David tried to have Regina executed. Your beau sent you to jail, my mother was a cold-blooded Siren, Daniel attempted to kill Henry," she winced at that thought of the story that Henry had told them, how Daniel had come back from the dead and harmed many people till Regina, of all people, stopped him, "Welcome to the family."

~8~

Henry was sitting on the coffee table of Neal's apartment a short while later, watching as Piper sat on the edge of the couch, by Gold's head, gently dabbing at his forehead with a cold compress while Emma and Neal went to go get the car that Neal's contact was providing him and move it closer to the apartment, leaving the three of them there.

Piper picked up her phone as it rang, answering it instantly, "Snow?" she called, not even having bothered to check the caller ID, not that there was much need. The only ones who had her number were Snow (and David), Henry and Emma, Gold, August (and Gepetto), and Ruby…and there was little chance the last three were calling her and the prior three were with her.

Henry frowned, watching Piper's face carefully, seeing a range of emotions flitter across it, from surprise to alarm to sorrow and anger then to concern.

"I understand Snow," Piper swallowed hard, "We shall be there shortly."

"Everything ok?" Henry asked as she hung up.

Piper was quiet a moment or two, trying to process all that Mary Margaret had said to her over the phone. They had found the dagger and been confronted by Regina and Cora, just as they thought would happen. The two must have made a good show of not giving it up as Cora had Johanna transported there to use as leverage. During all the confrontation between the two sides, the truth had come out to Mary Margaret about Eva's death. She hadn't fallen ill, she had been poisoned by Cora so that Regina would eventually become queen. Cora had disguised herself as the Blue Fairy, the one that they had sought out for help for Eva, and plotted to try and corrupt Snow. She won either way, if Snow had accepted the help she'd be tainted, if she didn't her mother would die and had died.

She was silently cursing herself about that though, she had been so young when she first met the 'fairy' and when she met Cora again, she thought there was something familiar to her song, but she just couldn't place it. She hadn't known that Cora had magic, that she could disguise herself like that, and by the time she realized she hadn't made the connection.

Mary Margaret had given the dagger over to save Johanna and it seemed Regina was going to let her go…but then Cora sent her flying out of the clock tower and plummeting to her death on the ground below. Mary Margaret was refusing to let it go, was being eaten away at guilt that yet another person had died on her birthday, someone else who was like a mother figure to her. She was blaming herself for not seeing it coming, for not having another way to save her.

But she was starting to realize something that Piper was honestly fearful she'd come to…goodness sometimes meant a loss of life. She had saved Regina from execution and lost everything for it. She had sent her daughter through the wardrobe to this world and lost her for 28 years. She had chosen not to use dark magic to save her mother and lost her. Mary Margaret now believed she had been too good, too kind, too forgiving and this…this wasn't how she wanted her cousin to come to the conclusion that a ruler had to be more than that.

"We need to go back to Storybrooke Henry," Piper looked at him, "Now."

"Why?" he frowned, "What's wrong?"

Piper just shook her head, knowing she should be happy about what she was going to say, but there was so much more at work than Mary Margaret realized, SO much more and if she didn't get back to Storybrooke soon...her cousin would do something drastic, she already was planning it.

"Snow is going to kill Cora."

A/N: Sorry this was late :( Bit of a medical emergency with my mother last night. She fell on our stairs and hurt her leg. I had to take her to the hospital to get it checked because she couldn't stand on it. She's ok, she severely bruised her leg, but I had to help her get around this morning to just get it checked out again at her work as there seemed to be internal bleeding that wasn't there last night :( She's doing ok though, she can walk a little more :)

As for this chapter, we'll see a bit more Bae/Piper interaction in Storybrooke than here, along with a small realization for Bae in a very close chapter about just how much Piper means to his father and affects him ;)

Some notes on reviews...

I think Rumple sort of forgot because it was such a brief meeting and he had so much else on his mind, with corrupting Regina and seeing that his plans for the Curse worked out, that she didn't really factor into it and he just let her slip from his head. August's reasons for hiding will be revealed in a future chapter, but I can say a part of it is both guilt and shame :( We'll have a bit of a snag in the motherly side of Piper around Henry for a reason we'll see very soon, mostly how others see her in terms of her being around children but we'll have to wait and see what and why }:)


	30. What is Right, What is Easy

What is Right, What is Easy

Rose Red did her very best not to grimace as she followed her cousin Snow White, into the main chamber of Snow's castle. She was dressed in the most horrendous red gown she'd ever seen in her 8 years of life. And that was truly a testament of how awful the dress was. It was tight on the top and the sleeves were short but poofed out and they clung under her armpits and made it uncomfortable to move. It was also the contraption around her waist that irritated her. There was this metal frame tied to her hips that stuck out on either side of her and made the gown stick out too…like she had really wide hips and she didn't know why she needed to look like that. The maids who had dressed her and Snow in the gowns, to show the Queen for approval before the birthday banquet the next night for Snow, had been nattering something about how wide hips were something men looked for in women.

She didn't know why men liked unnaturally shaped hips or why she was supposed to dress like an adult when she was 8 years old. She was quite certain no one would expect an 8 year old to have hips or be looking for hips on her.

But there she was, being forced into the terrible red gown. It was like a nonstop joke with everyone that she HAD to wear red, because of her name, like Snow often wore white and lighter colors. This time though, Snow was wearing pink however, in a dress similar to her. The only difference between their appearances, really, was that Snow's hair was down and her own was…urg. She had fussed and fussed and tried to get the maids to stop, but her hair was now curled and piled on top of her hair like a big poof. Her dress was a poof, her hair was a poof, her shoulders were poofed…she looked like a big old puff and was truly fighting not to grimace and show how uncomfortable she was.

Because Snow was beaming and it was her birthday and she had begged the dressmakers for a gown just like this and one to match for her baby cousin and she couldn't disappoint Snow like that.

So she bore it silently and followed her cousin across the room to where her mother, Queen Eva, was discussing the preparations and seating with a few of her maids and other women that were in charge of setting up the event.

"Let's be certain she's seated as far away from the Duke as possible, for the Duchess' sake," Eva smiled at one of the women, finishing up.

"Yes, ma'am," the woman smiled and gave a curtsey, the others doing the same before they turned and left.

Snow glanced at Rose and grinned, stepping ahead of her cousin and up to her mother, "Do you like it?"

Eva turned, standing regally before them. She was a tall woman, with black hair like Snow, and pale skin. She was wearing a red gown with silver sparkles on the hems, off the shoulder and hugging her figure as it flowed to the ground, "Oh, my dear Snow," she breathed, looking at her daughter with love, "You are an absolute vision. You are going to be the talk of the ball, and not just because it's for your birthday," she reached out and hugged Snow tightly, "And Rosie," she smiled gently at Rose as she gave an almost pained smile up at her aunt, her discomfort evident, "You look wonderful dear," she reached out and gently placed a hand under Rose's chin, lifting it, "Red is a lovely color on you."

"Thank you," Rose offered her Aunt, not about to counter and say she actually preferred darker colors.

Eva stood there and looked between the two girls, Snow having rushed to Rose's side and hugged her in glee, so happy that her mother approved of both their gowns, "Come," she turned and led Snow and Rose out of the room, "I can hardly believe you're growing up so fast. Which reminds me…I have a gift for you. It was my mother's once, and her mother's before that. And soon, it will be yours," she smiled at her daughter and moved over to a small side room where there was a full length mirror and a desk, like a small antechamber for preparations for balls. She moved over to the desk where a box was sitting, Johanna, one of her most trusted and favored maids, standing before the mirror, with a little tiara on her head, the box open and padded, clearly where the tiara had been kept, "Johanna."

Johanna jumped and spun around, pulling the tiara off her head when she saw the Queen and the two princesses behind her, "Oh!" she flushed, starting to stutter, "Oh, Your Majesty. Oh, please forgive me. I just wanted to see…"

"How dare you?" Snow frowned, striding forward, "That's mine. It's not for a servant."

"It was my mistake," Johanna bowed her head to Snow.

"Servants don't wear crowns," Snow lifted her chin up.

Eva glanced at Rose, seeing her not even phased at how Snow was acting and she knew that the girl looked up to Snow, followed her example, and she would not see this happen to either girl, "Enough."

Johanna flinched, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty…"

"No," Eva shook her head, "I was talking to Snow."

Snow blinked and spun around to face her mother, "Me?"

Eva nodded, though the disappointment in her eyes was clear to them all, "I thought I raised you better than that, Snow. It doesn't matter whether one is a servant or royalty. Everyone in the kingdom deserves our love and respect."

"But she took my tiara!" Snow pouted.

"She apologized," Eva reminded her, "And it isn't yours yet."

Johanna shook her head, not wanting Snow to be reprimanded for something she still believed was her fault, "Your Majesty, it's alright."

"You're kind, Johanna," Eva smiled at her, Rose tilting her head as she watched her aunt, "But Snow must learn. My dear, we are all the same."

"But I thought we were royals," Snow frowned, genuinely confused.

"We are, but that doesn't make us better than anyone else. The upcoming ball, for instance, can you tell me what it's for?"

"Snow's birthday," Rose answered.

"Yes," Eva smiled at her, "But it's more than that. It is not just to honor Snow on the day she was born, but for her to honor her people, by showing them you will be a kind and benevolent leader when that time comes. Please," she held her hand out to Johanna for the tiara, "When you are crowned with this on your birthday," she turned to Snow, holding the tiara up to her, "It will be a symbol that you will always hold goodness in your heart and rule justly. Now do you understand?"

Snow nodded slightly, "I do, mother."

"I don't," Rose pouted, crossing her arms.

Eva let out a soft laugh and looked over at her niece, "What has you confused young one?"

"Why do rulers have to be good when other people aren't?" she wondered.

"Because a ruler must lead by example," Eva answered gently, "When one rules well and is good, the people will be well and good too."

Rose blinked at that, seeming to almost not understand that, "But…how can a ruler be kind and benvent…"

"Benevolent," Eva corrected lightly.

"Yes," Rose nodded but made no attempt to repeat it properly, "How can they be kind if someone hurts someone?" she looked at Eva, "Daddy says if I do bad things then I'm to be punished cos then I'll just do more bad things. If…if you're too nice to people, what if they don't learn not to do bad things?"

"That is the struggle of a leader," Eva sighed, though she knew she should have expected such a question from her niece, while Snow was utterly optimistic and happy, Rose was…quite disillusioned and odd, "To balance being firm with being just."

Rose frowned as Eva turned to hand the tiara to Snow, she hadn't exactly answered the question. But she knew she should have known that would happen with her aunt. Her mother was the one that answered her bluntly and told her the truth about how rulers acted with bad people. Her father tried to ease it on her, to be light about it, saying she was still too young. Her aunt and uncle…it was almost like they completely ignored that there was bad in the world. She knew that, sometimes, bad men came to her kingdom, from her Uncle's, on his orders. He was not a strong-stomached man (whatever her mother meant when she said that), and he sent the bad people to his brother to deal with. She didn't exactly know how they were dealt with, but the bad men disappeared.

Eva merely turned Snow to the mirror, her hands resting on Snow's shoulders as Johanna moved to Rose, standing beside the girl with a gentle smile on her face.

"It's beautiful," Snow breathed, looking at the tiara.

"And it's heavier than it looks," Eva warned, a warm smile on her face…before it contorted in pain and she stumbled to the side, gasping in pain and grabbing the edge of the desk for strength and support as her legs gave out.

"Your Majesty!" Johanna rushed to her side to help her up.

"Mother!" Snow ran to her as well, Rose hurrying to her cousin's side to hold her hand, seeing tears in Snow's eyes.

"I'm fine," Eva tried to smile at them.

"Isn't lying bad?" Rose frowned at that, she didn't understand how that worked either. Her aunt and uncle always said lying was bad, that you should always tell the truth, but then they'd lie too. What was someone really supposed to do, tell the truth or lie and when was it ok to lie?

"Come," Johanna helped the queen up and over to a chair, ignoring Rose's question for a moment, "There," she eased the queen down, "I'm getting the doctor," she rushed from the room as Snow approached her mother, clutching Rose's hand in her own.

"Mother…"

Eva looked over at her daughter, trying to put on her best smile, "I'm fine, dear," she reached out and opened her arms, Snow rushing to hug her, shaking in the queen's arms.

Rose blinked and looked at her aunt over Snow's shoulder, frowning, understanding where Snow got it from, her aunt was really a terrible liar.

~8~

It hadn't taken long at all for the doctors and physicians to examine the queen and demand that she be in her bed for the rest of it. It was a true testament to just how terribly the queen felt that she hadn't even argued, she'd just held out a hand to Johanna for help and gotten up to be led/helped to her bed. She'd shooed away many of the other maids and servants though, leaving only Johanna, who was standing back with Rose and Snow, each arm around one of them, while a doctor checked her over. She had closed her eyes and seemed to have fallen asleep, but they all knew she was still awake by how she gave breathy answers, her face scrunching in pain despite her best efforts. There was a faint sheen of sweat on her brow and her skin had grown ten shades paler than before.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Snow called, desperate to know, for something, any sort of good news to be given. If the doctors knew what was wrong, then the doctors could give her something to help, cure her, that was what they did, cure people.

"Not yet, my dear," the elderly man sighed, "But I have hope that we shall know soon."

"How soon?" Rose asked at the same time that Snow cried, "Then she'll be alright?"

"Snow…" Eva panted, opening her eyes.

"Mother!" Snow gasped and rushed to her side, Johanna taking Rose's hand to keep her from following, both knowing that this was a mother-daughter moment and that Snow desperately needed her mother and only her mother at that moment.

The doctor swallowed hard as he looked from the Queen to her daughter, and silently made his way over to Johanna. He glanced at Rose for a moment, before focusing on the woman holding her hand, trying to keep his voice so low that not even Rose could hear, but she did, "You should call for the King immediately."

Johanna stiffened at that and, even if Rose hadn't been able to hear what was being said, she would have known that it was truly terrible from Johanna's reaction, "W-what…" she took a breath to calm herself, "What message shall I give him?"

The man gave her the most solemn of looks, "That whatever business he's attending to can wait. He should be at his wife's side."

Johanna let out a breath at that, tears filling her eyes that Rose could see as she looked up at the woman and then over to her aunt. She was 8, she wasn't stupid, she knew what that look meant, something was very, very wrong with her auntie.

"We'll cancel the ball," she could hear Snow declaring as Johanna allowed her to step closer to the pair at the bed, "And turn it into a celebration once you're better."

"We can't cancel your birthday," Eva smiled at her, lifting a weak hand to touch Snow's cheek, "It'll be fine. _I_ will be well by then. I want to see you walking in that tiara."

Snow shook her head, "I don't care about my birthday. All I care about is you."

Eva opened her mouth to say something but all that came out was a harsh, hacking cough, "Johanna…" she managed to get out between the jerking coughs.

Rose ran to Snow's side, taking the older girl's hand and lightly tugging her back the second Johanna dropped her own hand to move to the queen's side.

"Snow," Johanna glanced at the girls, "Let's leave your mother alone? It's alright. She needs her rest. Rose, why don't you two go see how the shoe maker is faring with your shoes, eh? Come," she got up and moved to lead the girls away, heeding the queen's unspoken command that they not see her like this.

"Mother?" Snow frowned at her but Eva just gave her an encouraging nod as Johanna led them out of the room, the doctor moving back to her side.

Rose glanced back once more at the door, able to see the queen pull a handkerchief away from her mouth as she stopped coughing, a spot of red on the white cloth before the door closed.

"What's going to happen to her?" Snow begged of Johanna, clutching Rose's hand tighter and pulling her attention back to her cousin, "Is she going to die?"

"Shh," Johanna surged forward, hugging Snow tightly as Rose patted the girl's back, not entirely sure why the adults were getting so upset, Eva couldn't die, she was nice and she was an adult and adults were strong. Old people died, she knew, and sometimes very, very small babies died, but adults didn't get sick and die. But Johanna seemed less certain of that, "I don't know."

"Aunt Eva can't die," Rose told them, "She's a good person and they get happy endings, right? Death isn't happy."

It couldn't be, why would anyone be happy that someone was dead?

"Right," Johanna smiled, though there was a very tense quality to it.

Snow gasped as she saw it, knowing what it meant, having more of an idea that her younger cousin did, "I don't want to lose her."

"We must hope the doctor…"

"He doesn't even know what's wrong with her!" Snow cut in, tears in her eyes as she started to tremble, "How can we place hope in him? There has to be something that can save her."

"But what?" Rose asked.

Snow looked at her cousin for a single moment before turning and hugging her tightly, startling Rose just a little. Her cousin hugged her all the time, they hugged each other, but she could usually tell when one was coming, but this was a surprise. Snow just hugged her all the more tightly at it, at what she'd said. SHE wanted to find a way to save her mother and, instead of saying it was impossible, instead of telling her to listen to the doctors, instead of telling her that it was hopeless…Rose had, in a single instant, without hesitation, asked what to do. She knew her cousin well enough to know that she wasn't asking how SNOW planned to do it, but how THEY could do it, what they should do to save her mother. Rose was going to help her, no matter what, she wasn't going to stop her.

"There may be one way…" Johanna breathed, touched by the more-than-cousinly, more sisterly, display between the two girls.

"What?!" Snow turned to her, her eyes wide.

"If medicine can't cure the Queen…" she took a breath, "Perhaps magic can."

"Like mother's?" Rose looked up at Johanna, if it was like her mother's magic than maybe SHE could help too!

Snow clutched Rose's hand, thinking the same thing as the two girls turned to Johanna with hopeful gazes.

"Not quite," Johanna smiled at Rose, "There are many different forms of magic dears," she glanced up and down the hall, before leaning forward to speak to them quietly, "Your mother has a confidant, Snow, someone few know about. Someone schooled with the most powerful of magic. I'm not really supposed to even know of this…"

"Please," Snow grabbed Johanna's hand, "Please, Johanna."

Johanna let out a long breath, "There is a benevolent fairy who can grant a person's wish, if their heart is true."

"Mine is," Snow stated determinedly, Rose silent, not quite sure what it meant to be true of heart. She'd heard people could have black hearts, that Sirens had hardened-hearts, that others were pure of heart, but what did it mean to be true of heart? Snow though seemed to know, "I swear. Where do we find this fairy?"

"Tonight, go into the woods where the sky is clearest," she instructed them in a whisper, "Wish upon the blue star…and she will appear to you."

Snow nodded, determined, and turned to pull Rose down the hall to their chambers, they had to get ready for their quest.

~8~

Rose kept her eyes on the ground as she walked through the woods with Snow, both girls in dark brown cloaks, courtesy of Johanna, not wanting to get caught by wearing their typical colors. Snow was the only one of the two holding a small lantern for light. When Johanna had offered them both one, Snow had immediately said that they only needed one, because they had to be careful not to get caught. Rose knew though, it was Snow trying to protect her. She…she didn't like fires much and the thought of holding a lantern where a burning flame was just inches away from her hand unsettled her. But Snow kept a tight hold on her hand as they walked, keeping her within the glow of the lantern so that she could see, the two girls staggering through the trees to try and find a clear enough patch to see the stars.

"Is that the star?" Snow asked as they slowed to a small stop in a tiny clearing between the trees, squinting up at the speckles of stars scattered around the treetops, "Or is it that one?"

"I don't see a blue one," Rose pouted, trying to help but the stars all looked white to her.

"Worry not, Snow White, Rose Red," a voice called behind them. They spun around to see a small, tiny woman in a blue gown with wide hips and brown hair had floated up behind them, wings out the back of her, fluttering gently in the soft breeze, "I have found you both."

"The Blue Fairy," Snow breathed, "I knew you'd come!"

"We didn't wish you here yet though," Rose frowned at that, not entirely sure how the fairy had known to come to them, but then again, she was only 8, she didn't know much about fairies.

The Blue Fairy merely smiled, "Well, I know when I'm needed. Your mother," she turned to Snow, "The Queen, is sick."

"Yes," Snow nodded, tears filling her eyes, "And if you don't help her with magic, she'll die!"

"I can tell that you love your mother very much, Snow White. But fairy magic is the purest magic of all. And, alas, cheating death is the darkest of undertakings."

"Please," Snow begged, stepping forward, setting the lantern beside her, "You can't just let her die."

"It is the way of the world."

"But magic isn't," Rose argued, moving to Snow's side, taking her hand, "Doesn't magic change the way of the world?"

Snow nodded fiercely at that, "There has to be something you can do!" she watched the woman intently, seeing a flicker of something on her face, "Yes," she realized, it was an expression of reluctance, "There _is_. You're just not telling me."

"Why are you hiding it?" Rose asked.

"What is it? Please!"

The Blue Fairy held up her hand to quiet the two young girls, "I _may_ be able to conjure a remedy using a type of magic that is forbidden to fairies, except under the most dire of circumstances. You must promise to keep this a secret. No one must ever know."

"Yes," Snow nodded, "Yes, anything. Just help her!"

The Blue Fairy hesitated a moment before gesturing Snow to hold her hand out, waving her wand around, conjuring a candle to appear in Snow's hand. It was an odd candle, or two candles really. It looked like one white candle and one black candle were being held together by the metal band at the ends of them, with red gems around the edge of the metal.

"This candle is infused with magic that can save your mother's life," the fairy told Snow, "But all magic, especially magic this powerful, comes with a price."

"What price?" Rose looked up at the fairy.

"In order for one to live…another must die."

Snow frowned at that, "I don't understand."

"To salvage a life beyond hope means breaking the laws of nature. So if you are to save a life, then you must lose one in return."

"But who must die?" Snow shook her head.

"That is for you to decide. You must hold this candle over the heart of your sacrifice and whisper their name. And, when the candle is lit, that person's life will be traded for your mother's."

Rose blinked, "Ok."

"Rose!" Snow looked at her cousin.

"What?"

"We…we can't do this!" Snow cried, "If…if we do, someone else will DIE."

"People die all the time," Rose looked at her cousin innocently, "Like bad men. Mother says sometimes the bad men die because they're bad. Couldn't we use one of them Snow?"

Snow shook her head, feeling tears in her eyes…because it was so easy to say yes to something like that, to think of the men she knew her father sent to her uncle for execution because he couldn't bring himself to give such an order. This…this would be just like that, to execute someone and…and it would be setting a terrible, horrible example for her baby cousin. She couldn't let this happen, she…she couldn't let Rose's words get to her because even being 8, even making sense, she was sure that Rose didn't know exactly what she was saying, what it meant to TAKE someone's life. A life exchanged on fair grounds, equally and without trickery, a life that was offered in place of another…that would be sacrifice, what the fairy was proposing was execution.

Because there wasn't time to find someone willing to do that, it had to be now and it had to be done in secret, as the fairy requested.

"All she ever wanted was for me to be good," Snow breathed, sniffling, tears in her eyes, "I can't trade someone else's life for hers."

"Then I'm afraid she will die," the fairy said simply.

Snow let out a shuddering breath before she dropped the candle and turned to grab Rose's hand, pulling her back to the castle, leaving the lantern and candle on the ground. They scrambled through the forests, the darkness making it harder to see the roots and rocks and logs in their way, but Snow wouldn't stop, wouldn't let them stop. She just kept running, pulling her cousin with her, till they reached the castle again. They bolted through it, Snow letting go of Rose's hand when they reached the hall that led to her mother's chambers and hiked up her skirts to run towards the room, Rose right behind her.

Snow hardly paused after throwing the doors open to run to her mother's bedside, Johanna, the doctor, and a few other maids there with her, "Mother!" she cried, dropping to her knees beside her mother's bed, Johanna reaching out to tug Rose back towards her, locking her arms around the little girl to keep her back so that Snow could have this moment, the tears in all their eyes reflecting how short the moment would last, "I'm sorry. Rose and I have done an awful thing."

"Snow?" Eva looked at her, unable to even lift her hand to wipe at her daughter's tears she was so weak, "What is it?"

"Rosie and I went to the Blue Fairy and begged her to help," Snow began, "To save you with magic. But what she gave me? It…it was dark magic. A candle that could restore your life by taking away someone else's. It was the only way…" she let out a sob, realizing what it meant, "But I couldn't do it. I'm sorry. I could've healed you. But I was too afraid."

"Snow…" Eva actually smiled at that, "That wasn't fear. That was strength. Strength, to resist darkness. I am so proud of you."

"But now you won't get better," Snow looked at her in tears.

"We all reach a moment in our lives where we are not meant to get better. And with or without me, someday…you will be a great queen."

"Please," Snow begged her quietly, seeing something flickering in her mother's eyes, a weakness setting in, an end drawing nearer, "Don't leave me."

"As long as you hold the spirit of goodness in your heart," Eva whispered, her voice no more than a breath, "I shall never leave you…"

Snow watched in horror as her mother gave her one last smile, before breathing out, her eyes falling closed as she passed.

"Oh, no," Snow started to sob, her face crumbling, "No…"

"Snow," Rose squirmed out of Johanna's hold and ran to her cousin, grabbing her and hugging her tightly as Snow sunk to the floor, feeling tears in her own eyes at how devastated her cousin was. She refused to let go of her, even as the maids and doctors rushed forward, even as Johanna tried to hug her as well and lead her off, she didn't let go of her cousin.

She refused to leave her side for a moment, and that night, when Snow laid in her bed sobbing and heartbroken, Rose was beside her, trying to be like the best stuffed animal that she could so that Snow wouldn't be alone, hugging her cousin all through the night till she finally fell asleep, though Rose remained awake, wanting to protect her from the bad dreams. Snow always had bad dreams when she was sad, and she wasn't going to let it happen…so she hummed, the lullaby their parents shared, she hummed it the entire night, giving her cousin at least some sort of comfort, keeping the nightmares away.

~8~

Rose stood beside Snow, the two girls dressed in black, Johanna behind them, also in the gown of mourning for the Queen. Today was the funeral for Eva and they were standing in the antechamber to the main hall, all the decorations for Snow's birthday were removed for the traditional funerary ones. Rose squeezed Snow's hand when they saw Johanna turn to pick up the small tiara out of the box, seeing the tears in Snow's eyes for it. She hadn't let go of Snow's hand since they'd finished dressing, their gowns similar to how their party dresses were, but black and with sleeves.

"It's time, Snow," Johanna told her.

Snow just stared at Johanna through her reflection in the mirror, "Today was supposed to be a day of celebration."

"And the kingdom needs you more than ever," Johanna reminded her, "They will find strength through your goodness."

"Where will I find my strength?"

"Where you always have," the woman smiled, "From your mother."

"From me too," Rose squeezed her hand again.

"From family," Johanna nodded, handing the tiara to Snow.

"I can't," Snow sniffled, looking at the crown that, to her, had started all of this.

"Do you want me to?" Rose asked her.

Snow looked at her and nodded, "Would you?"

Johanna handed Rose the crown, the girl moving onto her tip toes to be able to place it onto her cousin's head, Snow having to bow her head slightly to help. She straightened though and turned to look at herself in the mirror.

"She was right," Snow murmured, "It is heavy."

Johanna gave her a small nod, understanding, watching as Snow retook Rose's hand and turned, the two girls in the lead as they walked out of the room and into the main chamber. It was full of nobles and friends and some servants here and there, all in black, all facing forward where the queen's body was lying on display on a small raised platform. Snow took a breath, clutching Rose's hand as she turned and started to walk down the aisle that was formed between the gathering towards it.

Snow paused, having to let go of Rose's hand to do this, as was tradition. She glanced at her cousin, Johanna stepping beside her as Snow nodded, turning to her mother. She stepped closer, till she was right beside the body and placed her hand on the Queen's, "I miss you…so much," she whispered, placing a kiss to her mother's forehead and setting a small snowbell onto her hand before she stepped down to the floor, turning to face the altar.

She moved onto her knees, kneeling before her mother in respect, the group behind her doing the same, Rose making her way to her cousin's side and kneeling with her, the girl's grasping hands for the duration of the day. Snow had to stay there, till the last person left, till the night, so that the queen's spirit would be protected till the burial at dawn.

It could have been the blink of an eye or an entire day, Snow wouldn't be able to recall later, when Johanna stepped up to the two girls, the last three people in the room with the Queen, and placed her hands on their shoulders, "It's over, my dear," she whispered, "It's time to let her go."

Snow took a deep breath and stood, looking at the body once more, tears welling in her eyes as she turned to go, now allowed to cry again as there was no one watching for her to be strong for, except Rose, but Rose was the one person she could cry in front of, Rose wouldn't think less of her, Rose saw her as her cousin and not the person who had to learn to lead and rule now. She could cry in front of Rose, and so she did, crying herself to sleep just as she had the night before.

Rose though, as she held her cousin, didn't hum this time, just laid before Snow, holding her hand, frowning at the tear tracks on Snow's face. She was sad for her cousin and her aunt, she was sad herself, but she was also…angry, that the queen had died and Snow had been hurt. She was…determined as well.

"You may be my older sister Frosty," she whispered to her cousin, "But I promise…you won't be sad again. I won't let you. I'LL protect YOU. I'll always protect you."

A/N: I'm so sorry there was no chapter yesterday, real life got in the way and I literally had no time to even get on the internet till about 10am today :( But! To make up for that, I'll be posting a second chapter of this story today ^-^ I really wanted to do this flashback chapter to show a glimpse of Piper's moral compass, even as a child, even before the harsh realities of life turned her into the Piper...she wasn't exactly pointing north ;)

Some notes on reviews...

We'll have to wait and see what happens with the candle. I can say that there'll be a flashback moment of a particularly bad argument between Rose and Snow that has sort of shaken Snow even to this point, about what a ruler's willing to do for their people in difficult times, that will sort of strike Mary Margaret in terms of the Rumple/candle situation ;) I can't say just when Belle will regain her memories just yet, we'll have to wait and see :)

Oh Piper will still have plenty of moments beating and using her magic on Hook ;) For that moment, she just really wanted to physically hurt him :)


	31. The Miller's Daughter

The Miller's Daughter

Storybrooke was in sight to the new crew of the Jolly Roger as Hook's ship sailed closer and closer to the town's docks. Piper had just made her way onto the top deck, Neal having called down below where she was tending to Gold, to let them know that they were near Storybrooke before he helped her get his father on deck. Neal had been true to his word and had expertly sailed the ship out of New York, teaching Henry how to do so along the way while Emma helped her get Gold down below deck. She had noticed a sort of tension between Emma and Neal, Emma volunteering so quickly to be the one to help Gold down and to willingly leave Henry with his father had told her that something had happened. Careful questioning had led to her discovering that Neal, apparently, had moved on and gotten himself engaged to a woman named Tamara. Gold had been…well, she wasn't sure what he was hearing the news. It appeared that he was conflicted but as for whether he was conflicted that his son hadn't told him that or that the woman wasn't Emma, she wasn't sure. She knew that Gold had issues with Emma, but she could guess there was a small part of him that didn't want to see Emma and Neal separated for Henry's sake. She could recall Gold telling her how much it had hurt Baelfire when Milah had left them and pulled away from them, the last thing he would want is for Henry to suffer the same.

But right now, they didn't have time to deal with that, their entire focus had been on getting back to Storybrooke and getting Gold to his shop where his magical artifacts were. From what Mary Margaret had said, Cora had the dagger and they knew the second that Gold was back in Storybrooke they would come for him, thinking it was the real dagger. She was slightly sad to know that Johanna had died all over a false dagger, but she knew it would be something that would make Cora and Regina all the more certain that the dagger was the real one.

Piper helped Gold over to a barrel to rest as Neal went back to Henry's side to help him finish steering. Emma glanced over at them before making her way towards them, "You don't look comfortable," Emma murmured to Gold.

It was true, the man was sweating and panting, his face contorted in an expression of pain, his hands white as they gripped his cane and Piper's hand. He looked up at her, nearly sneering at her, "The poison racing towards my heart will have that effect."

Emma nodded, realizing that wasn't the best question to ask, and turned to Piper, knowing that she was likely the better one to talk to, not wanting to tax Gold anymore, "So this…knife of his…"

"Dagger," Piper corrected, knowing how much it irritated Gold to have it called a knife, just like it irritated her when people called her pipe a flute.

"Whatever. Cora and Regina…if they had it, they could make him do anything?"

"They could," Piper nodded, "But, thankfully for us, we have the actual dagger. They have only a false one. They can no more control Rummy than a mother can control a toddler in a tantrum."

Gold grunted at that, "Thanks Pip."

"I am not calling YOU a toddler," Piper squeezed his hand, "Merely using a comparison."

"If they DID have the dagger though…well, actually, YOU have it," Emma eyed her.

"I do," Piper looked at her.

"So…you could make him, like, kill us all?"

"I could," Piper agreed, "However I do not find myself fond of the idea of killing my own family. So I do believe you are safe."

Emma let out a long breath at that, "And if it wasn't you…" she trailed off, just thinking about the complications that could have arisen if Regina and Cora had truly gotten the dagger.

"You're hoping I bleed to death now, aren't you?" Gold muttered, just guessing that was flitting through her head. He knew that Emma was vaguely aware of what the dagger could do to him but to finally hear just how far he would go under its command? He knew she was grateful that it was Piper who held it, someone who had been determined from the start to protect her family, to protect Mary Margaret and Emma and Henry, and that she wouldn't abuse his powers, because they had an understanding, all stemming from their original deal. He had never abused her power and she would never abuse his.

But if Cora and Regina managed to get his dagger…it would be over, for all of them.

Because for them to get the dagger from Piper, they would have to pry it from her cold, dead fingers she would put up that much of a fight to keep it. And if they killed Piper, they would need to use that dagger to protect them from him. There were only two things (well, he supposed three now) that he cared about in this world, only two things that kept him from falling entirely into the darkness that his powers afforded him. His boy and his love. For so long he'd lost Bae, he'd survived, and then he'd found Piper and if he'd lost her…there would be nothing left to keep him from tearing through the realms. He would willingly and gladly destroy anything in his path to try and let the rage out and try to find a way to avenge her. The same would go for Bae.

"You're Henry's grandfather," Emma shook her head, "You're even more family now than just being Piper's boyfriend," she would have laughed at the grimace on Gold's face at that title, he probably preferred some sort of old-fashioned term like lover or something, "I'm going to save you."

"Oh, I feel so reassured," he rolled his eyes.

"You should," Piper squeezed his hand, making him look at her, "There is nothing I would not do to save you Rummy."

He looked at her, seeing the conviction in her eyes, seeing the promise in them, the determination, and he knew she was telling the truth. He knew exactly what she was capable of and how far she was willing to go to save and protect those she cared about. He smiled at her and lifted his hand weakly, managing to place a soft kiss to the back of it just as the boat reached the dock.

Neal was back at his side Emma and Henry moving a small plank off the side to where David, Mary Margaret, and Ruby were waiting to help tether the ship in and get them off it. Between her and Neal, they got Gold down off the ship, leading him over to David's truck.

"Are you ok?" Mary Margaret looked between Piper and Emma as they reached solid ground. She hadn't known about Gold being harmed till she'd spoken to Emma who had called to let them know Storybrooke was in sight. She would have asked why Piper hadn't told her, but it was so like her not to bring up something that she knew would hurt her to hear or worry her.

It killed her though, because they had to discuss what James and George had done to her at length, but right now…with her true love in such danger…she knew this was NOT the time to do so. Help Gold first, and then bring up the torture that David's twin brother had watched happen.

"Yeah," Emma nodded, "Yeah, we're alright. Gold though…" she looked over as David helped Neal and Piper get Gold into the back of the truck so he could lie down, Piper climbing up to sit beside him, resting Gold's head on her lap as he let out a breath of what seemed like relief.

"Uh, I drove a ship," Henry remarked as the three walked over to the others.

"Did you now?" David looked over at him.

"Yeah, my dad showed me how."

"That's…me," Neal offered, getting in the back of the truck with Piper.

David looked at Neal and Piper, crowding around Gold and had to ask, "Can you tell if Cora is trying to control you with the dagger?"

Gold winced but nodded, "I cast an enchantment on it so that I could know if someone was trying to call or command me…so far she hasn't."

"That's good," Ruby tried to offer, the only one that Mary Margaret had told the truth of the dagger to, "If she gave a command and you didn't follow it…that'd be bad right?"

"Yes," Piper nodded, "We are lucky she has not tried something yet. I fear she would have attempted to kill most of us if she had either dagger and wished it."

Emma glanced at Piper for that, 'attempted' notion, that was probably wishful thinking, like the power of true love or her own magic would be enough to stop the great and powerful Dark One from killing them. Though, she couldn't be sure, Mary Margaret went on and on about how true love was the strongest magic, how it could overcome any curse, and she had seen Piper's magic in the Forest, she might just be able to distract or harm Gold enough for him to retreat. Though she didn't want to test any of that.

"Well, then we'll just have to take the fight to her before she can realize," Mary Margaret determined.

"We will," David promised her.

"And this time," she took a breath, "We finish it."

Piper looked over at her cousin for that, the smallest of frowns on her face.

"Mary Margaret…" David began.

"David," Mary Margaret cut in, "She needs to be stopped. She needs to be killed. This is our family. We are going to protect it."

"We shall," Piper agreed, though she was watching her cousin closely.

"Of course we will," David agreed at that, "But what you're talking about goes beyond that."

"Does it?" Piper asked the man, sounding genuinely confused, "How is what she is proposing any different than your driving need for Regina to be guilty? To be executed for her past crimes?" she eyed David, "You have a bit of hypocrite in you Charming."

"She is the reason you've never met my mother," Mary Margaret argued with the man.

"I know," David tried to calm her, turning away from Piper, not wanting to admit she was partially right, his driving need to see Regina dead was not different than Mary Margaret's, the only difference was, he had tried to use the law to his advantage and have her formally executed, not murdered, "I know what happened to Queen Eva, and I have zero problem with Cora dying for it. But not by your hand, and not out of vengeance."

"Why?"

Piper looked at David, watching him closely for his answer, "Because you wouldn't be able to live with yourself. You have the purest heart of anyone I have ever known. That's who you are, and that's who you're going to stay."

Piper glanced down at Gold, reaching out to stroke his hair a moment, thinking quietly about what David had said. It reminded her so much of a past argument she'd had with her cousin as young women, an argument that had always stuck with her and had crept into her subconscious whenever a situation like this arose. And all of it started because her cousin did have a pure heart, the purest and kindest heart in the realms.

She blinked, feeling something on her cheek, and looked down to see Gold had reached up a weak hand to touch her cheek, knowing where her mind had drifted to, "Feeling better?" she asked him quietly.

"I'm beginning to feel a bit stronger," he stated, "Take me back to my shop. There's magic there that can protect us."

"Let me guess," Henry sighed, "I get to go with Ruby," it was all too clear to him why Ruby was there when she wasn't exactly needed.

"You got it, kid," Emma smiled.

"I'll keep him out of the crossfire," Ruby promised.

"Thank you," Mary Margaret smiled at her.

"Don't look so worried," Henry told them, "You'll stop Cora. You won't let her get away."

"No we shall not," Piper agreed, taking Gold's hand off her face and holding it tightly as Emma hopped in the back of the truck with her and Neal, Mary Margaret and David moving to the front to head out.

~8~

Piper and Mary Margaret gently placed Gold in the back room of his shop the moment they reached it, David and Neal keeping a lookout in the doorway towards the front, making sure that Regina and Cora were, so far, unaware of their arrival. Piper set a pillow behind his head before she looked up to see Emma enter with a small glass container, empty.

"Emma, did you find it?" Gold wheezed.

"Yeah," Emma frowned, "There's nothing in it."

"Toss it here," Piper held up her hands and Emma tossed it to her, staring at it as a small clinking noise sounded from within it.

"What the hell?"

Piper reached in and pulled something out, holding it between her forefinger and thumb, but it was invisible. She stood and moved over to Emma, holding out her hand and placing it in Emma's palm, "Invisible chalk," she told her, closing her fingers around it.

"Use it in the front doorway," Gold told her, "Draw a line."

"Why me?" Emma blinked.

"You are the only one with a wide range of magic," Piper told her, "Mine is too concentrated and specific and Rummy is too weak to cast the protection charm that shall follow."

"Right…" Emma shook her head before moving to do just that.

"The rest of you," Gold glanced at the men, "You might want to prepare for battle."

"Snow," Piper called out, making her pause, "Could you help me make sure he's comfortable first?"

"Of course," Mary Margaret gave her a gentle smile, "Would a blanket help?" she asked.

Gold nodded, "In that cabinet," he pointed as Piper turned to get him some water to drink.

Mary Margaret turned and opened it, only to come face to face with the black and white candle that Cora had tried to trick her into using as a child. She reached in and slowly pulled it out, "Why do you have this?" she spun to face him.

Piper looked over however, catching Gold wincing out of the corner of her eye, before she moved over to her cousin and took it, "Why do you think Snow?" Piper mused, grasping the candle in her hand and turning away, placing it on the desk.

Mary Margaret closed her eyes, now realizing why Gold had wanted to come back here to his shop, why he had kept the candle, "You're not getting any better, are you?" she asked the man.

"The candle can save me," Gold replied solemnly, "There's nothing else."

"I wouldn't use this to save my own mother," Mary Margaret frowned, "What makes you think I would use it for you?"

"Who said you would be the one to use it?" Piper turned to her, setting the glass of water down beside Gold.

"Rose…" Mary Margaret shook her head, "You can't."

"Why not?" Piper raised an eyebrow, "I am an adult Snow. _I_ am the eldest now. It is up to ME to do this," she gave her a pointed look, "To make the difficult choices."

Mary Margaret, for the briefest moment, looked as though she might have been slapped before it was covered up, "That was the plan," she murmured, looking between Gold and Piper, "Cora dies instead of you."

"Cora was always going to die Snow," Piper told her flatly, moving to sit on the edge of the small cot that Gold was lying on, his hand coming to rest on her thigh, just…needing contact with her, needing the comfort, as she placed her hand on top of his.

"You…you actually WANT to do this…" Mary Margaret breathed.

"And YOU want this to happen," Piper countered, "Or were your words to David for show?"

"There's no coming back from murder."

"And that is why it must be ME," Piper nodded, "For all your anger towards Cora, Snow, for all that you said before about her needing to be killed…YOU would never be able to do it yourself," she tilted her head, "Why stain skin as white as snow with blood as red as a rose?"

Mary Margaret swallowed hard at that, closing her eyes, hearing an age old argument in her words, hearing her own weakness in her mind. She HAD been the one, only moments ago, ranting about how Cora had to be stopped, how she needed to be killed, how they would see this through to the end…yet here she was, unwilling to do it.

_'You will NEVER be able to make the difficult choices a ruler must make, Snow!'_

She winced at the memory, at those words, at the truth in them.

"There's no coming back from death, either," Gold reasoned, "That IS what will happen to your loved ones if Cora lives."

"But how?" Mary Margaret opened her eyes and looked at them, wanting to know, NEEDING to know what they were planning, because this time…this time it would be different, "The candle only works if you whisper the victim's name over them."

"The heart will do," Gold said simply.

"Cora's heart, it's not in her body."

"It has not been since before Regina was born," Piper agreed, "But, to use the candle and curse the heart…all that would remain would be to place it back in Cora's body."

"She will die, and I will live," Gold nodded.

"There's another way," Mary Margaret murmured, "I get Cora's heart, I control her and make her do the right thing, and I let you die. Takes care of two evils at once."

Gold squeezed Piper's hand, feeling her tensing beside him, "I'm just imagining poor Henry's face when he finds out that you killed his grandpa," he tilted his head, "Or the look on your cousin's when you murder her true love. Tell me, Snow White, you _have_ heard what happens when Sirens are betrayed, have you not?"

Mary Margaret's gaze flickered to Piper's, seeing the hard mask that had settled over her cousin's face and felt her heart sink to her stomach. She…for one brief moment, she'd forgotten who Gold was to Piper. It all felt like Gold was saying everything to HER, that he was trying to get HER to do this and blacken her heart and even knowing that, if Gold WAS doing that, PIPER wasn't, that Piper was genuinely speaking the truth and not manipulating her…it made her feel guilty and responsible. SHE was still the eldest of the two of them, no matter what happened, Piper would always be her little cousin, her baby sister in a way, and SHE was the one who was supposed to take care of her, not the other way around. And just then, she had truly lost sight of the fact that Piper's true love was Rumpelstiltskin.

She hadn't meant to say it, to imply she'd let Piper's true love die, not ever, no matter who he was. But it had happened she said it.

And she knew very well what happened when Sirens were betrayed, when they suffered. Their hearts hardened and, given all that Piper had endured…to lose Gold, to lose him at HER hands…that would harden her heart beyond all redemption. She would cease, truly and fully, to be her cousin, she would be the enemy, she would be the villain. She would be worse than Regina in seeking revenge. Sirens didn't care. A hardened heart was FAR more dangerous than a blackened one. Because nothing touched them, no emotion at all, they could NOT be reasoned with. The only way to stop them was to kill them.

If she did that, if she let Gold die…she would lose her cousin and she would unleash a monster and no one, not her, not Emma, not even Henry, would be safe.

But before Mary Margaret could even try to apologize, Emma stepped back into the back room, "I drew the invisible line. I…think. What now? You said there was a protection spell? I can't cast a spell. I can spell 'spell…'"

"You can do it Emma," Piper told her, Mary Margaret watching with a small break in her heart how Piper's expression softened for Emma, "You have magic."

"Yeah, but how?" Emma shook her head, "Like, from my brain?"

"Just try," Gold panted and Emma closed her eyes, focusing…but there was nothing, "Stop thinking!" Gold nearly snapped, his pain getting to him, "Conjuring magic is not intellectual endeavor."

"It is emotion, Emma," Piper told her, "You have to feel it in your very soul."

"You must ask yourself, 'why am I doing this? Who am I protecting?'"

"Your mother, your son," Piper added, seeing Emma close her eyes to try again, "Your father, Henry's father, Henry's grandfather…"

Gold squeezed her hand, knowing she wouldn't include herself in that, she was trying to make it about Emma's direct family, her direct lineage and, for all her and Mary Margaret saying that they were sisters, they were cousins. And it was immediate family that Emma had to focus on, not all the crazy connections to it.

A moment later, a wave of magic passed over the shop, waving out from Emma.

"Perfect Emma," Piper smiled, "You felt that?"

"Yeah…" Emma breathed, opening her eyes, surprised but oddly warm, proud that she'd done it, "I think I did."

"Good girl," Gold murmured, lying back down to rest, "Very good girl," he squeezed Piper's hand and looked at her, "She's much like you Pip…"

"Hardly," she laughed, shifting so she could look down at the man, "It took me ages to conjure your tricks. Emma is far more talented," she glanced at Emma and smiled at her, making Emma shift but the small smile on her face remained.

He opened his mouth to speak, but let out a grunt of pain, Neal, who had been near the door, stepped in, hearing it, "You ok?"

Gold let out a pained breath, closing his eyes, "I'm dying Bae," he swallowed hard, "And maybe it's for the best. At least this cursed power will pass from this world."

"No," Neal moved forward, standing by his father's side, "No, you're not dying."

"I _am_ dying. That much is certain," he opened his eyes and looked at them, "At least I am with you," he looked between Piper and Neal, "I'm glad for it."

"You are not going to die Rumpelstiltskin," Piper squeezed his hand, "I will not allow it."

Gold let out a small chuckle at that, looking at her a moment, "I know," he whispered, "You gave up everything, for me, Pip," he gazed at her, "You call yourself a villain, because of me, because of what we did. But…" he squeezed her hand in return, "You ARE a hero Piper, you're MY hero. You don't even try and you make me…better. You make me a better man without changing who I am. You protect me and you care for me, when…when no one else would. You…take away the shame," he swallowed again, his gaze locked on her, and they could see the faintest tears in his eyes as he spoke to her, "You take away the regret and the fear and the…the nightmares. When I'm with you Pip…I am just…me. You make me feel free Piper, and I love you for that."

"I love you too," she breathed, reaching out to touch his cheek, him leaning into it, "And all of that, Rummy, it is the same for me. You are my…whole world, my guardian, my heart. You have brought me nothing but warmth and love and happiness."

"Villains don't get a happy ending," he told her softly.

"No, we do not," she agreed, "But we MAKE a happy ending, we fight for it. YOU are my happy ending."

"You're not mine," he told her, but he knew she'd wait to see what he had to say, "You never were, because we…will never end Piper, you…you were the beginning of my happiness and it will never end so long as I have you."

Piper gave him the softest and most touched of smiles before leaning in and kissing him gently, resting her forehead to his for a long moment…till a throat cleared beside them, Neal looking at his father oddly.

"Didn't know you had that in you," Neal murmured.

"Oh, I'm full of love," Gold remarked, glancing at his son but holding Piper's hand, "I've spent a lifetime looking for you Bae. For a chance to say I love you. And I'm sorry."

"I didn't think you would go back on our deal," Neal admitted, feeling something new entering him from seeing his father so open and vulnerable in speaking to Piper like that, it was like…he finally knew that Gold was being sincere and truthful.

"I just made the wrong choice," Gold admitted, reaching out a hand to him, "May I?"

Piper smiled and glanced at Neal before she stood, letting go of Gold's other hand to stand back, giving Neal the space to accept or reject his father.

"I'm still angry," Neal hesitated.

"I know…"

Neal paused only a moment before taking Gold's hand and crouching beside him, closing his eyes and pressing his father's hand to his forehead, the two having a moment as Gold pushed himself up to half-hug his son, the two men overwhelmed by their emotions.

Piper smiled as she watched it, turning to look at Snow and Emma…only to see only Emma was there. Her gaze immediately flew to the candle on the desk…

A candle that was now missing.

"Snow…" she muttered, before glancing back at Gold, and then Emma, "Keep this place safe!" she told Emma, before rushing out of the shop, past David and out the door, pausing at the end of the block when she felt a wave of magic behind her. She spun around to see Cora and Regina standing before the shop, having just missed them appearing across the street. She swallowed hard, wanting to run back, to protect Emma and Gold and Neal (and David), but…Snow…she was about to do something that would destroy everything.

She took a breath and turned, running off down the block.

~8~

Mary Margaret stood in the cemetery, before the mausoleum that she knew held Regina's vault and magical items. This was it, she knew this was where Regina kept the hearts, the only place that Regina or Cora would feel safe placing Cora's heart as well. She took a breath, looking down at the candle in her hand and took a step towards the door, fully intent to do this, to prove them wrong, to prove she COULD do this, that she'd do it for her family…

When a faint melody rang through the air.

She froze, spinning around, the world spinning with her, and staggered, already feeling the effects of Piper's magic on her. She could just make out her cousin, standing at the other end of the cemetery but walking towards her, her pipe out, playing the lullaby that their fathers had taught them. She could feel it, her eyes starting to droop.

"Rose…" she whispered, before she fell to the ground, her world going black.

Piper finished the tune just as she reached Mary Margaret's side and looked down at her cousin sadly, "My apologies Snow," she murmured, crouching down to pick up the candle from her cousin's hand, "But this is not for you to do."

She looked up at the mausoleum only for a moment before she stepped inside and made her way down to the vault. It was all too easy to find the heart, she could hear the beating of the hearts and one, only one, had a faint song to it that reminded her of Cora's. She walked right to it, opening it only to make sure the heart was in there, before she closed it and turned, striding out of the shop. She knew how hearts worked, the moment something was done to it, the moment it was touched, Cora would know.

Cora would know and she'd send Regina to find the heart, so…she couldn't be at the vault when it happened. She quickly made her way from the vault, from the mausoleum, she made her way back to the shop, not stopping to even wake Mary Margaret, she couldn't risk her stopping her. She moved to the alley just to the side, and opened the lid. She held the candle up, lighting both ends of it and held it over Cora's heart.

"Cora," she whispered, allowing some drops of wax to fall onto the beating organ, "Cora."

She looked up, her head snapping up, when she heard the door to the shop slam shut, peering around the corner of the alley to see Regina disappear in a swirl of purple smoke. Exactly as she thought would happen, this would give her just enough time. Regina would find Mary Margaret, but she'd be out cold, and it would take time for her to wake the woman and find out what had happened and what was going to happen.

She quickly blew out the candle, and got up, Cora's heart clenched firmly in her hand as she strode towards the shop.

~8~

Gold looked up as Cora strode into the back room. He had heard the commotion, how Cora and Regina broke through the first protection spell, entering the shop. Emma, Neal, and David had rushed to defend it. He'd heard Emma cry out for her father as the door to his shop slammed shut and could only assume he'd been thrown out of the room. There had been some sort of scuffle between Emma and Neal, and Regina and Cora, before the two ran into the back room with him, using the invisible chalk to make a barrier again.

He wasn't at all surprised to see that Piper had run out, he had noticed the missing candle, and he knew exactly where she had gone.

He had little time to think of that though as Cora magically teleported Emma and Neal out of the room, leaving just him and her.

"A vision told me about you," he remarked, trying to keep the smile off his face, he had heard her send Regina away, heard that something was happening to her heart and ordering her daughter to go find out what. He knew Piper was too smart to do anything in the vault, he knew she was near…he just needed time, "Told me this day would come. But it didn't tell me everything. Didn't tell me what I really wanted to know."

Cora eyed him, holding up his dagger a moment, glancing at it, his name carved into the side of it, before she stepped closer and sat next to him on the bed, "And what's that?"

"Did you ever love me?" he tilted his head and observed her.

He had met her once, when she was the poor Miller's daughter. She had tried to ensnare a visiting prince, Henry, his name was. She had snuck into the ball, paraded around as a noble, but been caught. She'd tried to save herself by claiming she could spin straw to gold and had been locked up to prove it. She'd only had that night to do so and had been failing miserably. Till he appeared. He'd agreed to teach her, if she signed a contract of all the typical conditions, first born children, etc. He could admit she had intrigued him in how her anger burned, how her anger fueled her magic to eventually create the golden straw. Princess Eva, Snow White's future mother, had tripped her earlier that day, then blamed Cora for scuffing her shoe and forced the king to make Cora kneel to Eva and that had enraged her. He had been a little captivated by the woman, had offered her a place as his student and as his lover…but she chose to rip out her own heart and stay with her husband, birthing Regina instead.

"Why do you think I had to rip my own heart out?" she asked him, touching his cheek, "You were my weakness. You are the only man I ever truly loved."

But then Gold started laughing.

Cora's expression hardened as she stood, "You dare laugh at me?!"

"I merely…realized something," he rasped, "I…never truly loved _you_," he took pleasure in the glare she sent at him, "I have found someone capable of worse things than you have done…and she didn't need to remove her heart to do it."

"Who?" she sneered at the mention of a woman who had captured his love in such a way.

But she suddenly stiffened, gasping as something was shoved into her chest from behind…her heart returned to her.

Piper smirked darkly over her shoulder, "Hello Cora."

She pulled her hand out of Cora's chest, the woman stumbling back, the dagger falling to the ground. Gold gasped, sitting up in bed, looking at his chest where his wound was gone.

"Mother!" Regina's voice called as she ran into the room, having seen her mother's heart missing and come to warn her.

Cora spun around, looking at Regina with tears in her eyes, smiling, her entire countenance softening. She reached out to touch Regina's cheek, laughing, looking at her with love in her eyes for the first time in Regina's life…but then she gasped and stumbled back, looking down at her chest…where Gold's wound had appeared on her.

Regina lunged forward, catching her mother as she fell to the ground, holding her in her arms as Gold waved his hand, making the dagger disappear.

"Mother?" Regina pleaded, looking at her mother in tears, "Mother? What's wrong?"

"This…would've been enough," Cora breathed, "You…YOU would've been enough."

"Mother?" Regina shook as Cora's eyes fell shut, her breath leaving her, "What's going on?!" she cried to Gold, before looking at her mother again, "Mother? Don't leave me, please…what am I going to do?"

"Your mother did you no favors," Gold remarked easily, stepping beside Piper.

"Shut up!" she hissed at him, "You stole her life! You cast some spell."

"_I_ did nothing."

"Oh my god!" Mary Margaret's voice gasped as she and David rushed in, staring in horror at the sight before them, Emma and Neal just behind them.

But Regina's gaze turned to Piper, "_You_ did this!"

Piper smiled darkly at Regina, "Yes," she said slowly, "YOU taught me all about revenge Regina, and I must say it is far sweeter when it is not foreseen," she murmured, kneeling down to look Regina in the eye, "A life for a life. You stopped my father's heart. I stopped your mother's," she stood up and casually brushed the dust off her knees before she looked at the others, seemingly completely at ease, "Now then..." she smiled, "Anyone for hot chocolate?"

A/N: I have to admit, I was slightly disturbed when I wrote that last line by Piper, like...she just murdered someone and she's so distanced from it and so removed from it that she's treating it like it's nothing, she genuinely feels no remorse or guilt at all for what she's done and I felt that line would show that, to her she's just going to go about her business like nothing happened.

Next chapter...Hamelin }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Happy 4th of July to you too! :)

Hook probably broke the chair he was sitting in and managed to wiggle out of the broken wood :) I can say Piper learned far more from Regina about revenge than we see here, so hr fight with Cora is more her getting revenge on Regina ;)


	32. Hamelin

A/N: Small warning, there might be a bit of gore near the end of this chapter, not very graphic, but a little bit of gore :(

~8~

Hamelin

Another day, another bargain to be struck.

Such was the life of the Pied Piper as most had come to calling her. She was fine with that title, it was fitting and she had no qualms with her name being Piper. Most people seemed to treat that as her name when she would introduce herself. Often it was like a habit, like a pattern of sorts. She would hear tell of a town in need, a town overrun with some sort of pestilence, and she'd make her way there. All she had to do after that was tell the head of the town who she was and often they knew exactly what she could do and why she was there. There was little need for any sort of discussion after that, save for hashing out the price of her services. It depended on the type of animal that a town needed removal of and how many there were of that particular animal.

Some animals were easier to control, like insects, the rodents were a little more difficult. However, at times, the sheer number that could exist in a swarm of insects made it just as difficult as luring the rats out of cities. It depended as well on the size of the city in question. She did try to take into consideration the state of the cities and the people before she proposed a price for her work, whether they were poor and suffering or wealthy. Well, not exactly proposed a price, she set a price and whether or not the town agreed was up to them. Agree and she would do her job, they would find themselves free of the plights on them. Decline and they would have to suffer with the plight on them for ages after. She actually had quite a bit of fun when they declined. She would sit outside the town, or within it, and watch them suffer with the rats and insects and arachnids that had swarmed them. She'd sit there, not lifting a finger to help them, save to demonstrate that she truly could control the animals (some did need a little proof) by manipulating one single animal in show. She'd made rats dance, she'd made insects make patterns in the air, had spiders spinning designs in their webs...all to prove her prowess.

After that, it was so easy to get others on board, most of the times the towns were so desperate they would agree to any price just to be rid of the animals that were taking over their homes. She tried to be fair, wanting to ensure that not only would SHE be upholding her end of the bargain in ridding the town of what was alarming them, but also that the town could pay for her services. She DID wish to get paid, she never did anything for free, she owed no one any favors and if a town couldn't pay, then she didn't play.

She paused at the gates of her latest town, looking up at the walls surrounding it. It was a large gate, one that was surrounding the entire town, numerous beams of wood resting straight up, creating a solid wall around the entirety of the town. There was one gate and one gate only, one entrance unless someone took an axe and decided to hack away at part of it and sneak through it. She shook her head, scoffing under her breath as she looked up at it, so many people would be surprised to see just how easy it was to take care of their own plight and swarms and infestations if only they changed the way they lived or how their towns were set up. This, for instance, this town, Hamelin, the walls didn't just keep enemies out, it kept the rats that had infested them IN.

Well, who was she to complain? It was the incompetence of others that allowed her her job and her means to survive. She shook her head, this would be far too easy to see out and she already knew, judging how tall and well structured the walls were, this town was likely wealthy if it could afford the time, resources and labor to make something like this. She'd heard Hamelin was a small town, quaint, but she cared not, a client was a client was a client and so long as they paid, she couldn't bring herself to care what city they were from or what the city was like. She was not going to settle there, she was not going to live there.

She had only one home left, and it was not here because her cousin wasn't there and they couldn't be together, not till the Evil Queen had been dealt with.

She shook her head from her thoughts, not wanting to get lost in them. No, she needed to focus on this, she needed to steel herself, be the Piper that many heard about. She...she wasn't Rose Red any longer, she was the Pied Piper and the sooner she could bring that up at a single thought, the better. She took a breath and stepped up to the doors, banging on them.

"Who goes there?!" a voice called above her.

She stepped back and spotted two men on top of the walls, on either side of the gate, "I have business with your mayor," she shouted up to them well, more like she spoke but her voice projected to them, "Open your gates."

"Who are you?" the second of the two men asked.

She nearly rolled her eyes, "They call me the Piper," she warned them, "And if you wish me to deal with your rodent problem, you will open the gates and allow me entrance or I shall take my skills elsewhere. I wonder how pleased your leader will be with that."

The men glanced at each other for a moment before scurrying away and shouting commands down to some others on the ground.

The men glanced at each other for a moment before scurrying away and shouting commands down to some others on the ground and, a moment later, the gates were pushed open, allowing her into the town. She kept her eyes peeled as she walked in, one of the guards taking to role of escort to lead her to the mayor of the town for clearly he had not had the decency to come meet her at the gate. But it was fine, it allowed her a deeper understanding of the town around her, more time to observe without having her attention partially stolen by idle chatter that those who hired her seemed prone to do. The houses were well built, all of wood, only slightly larger than she'd seen in other villages and towns. Clearly this town was quite well off but not overly so, average for most of the kingdom she'd guess. She could ask her usual price here.

She looked over as she was led to a tavern, nearly rolling her eyes at that, it was always a tavern, wasn't it? If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that the men she met with were scared of her and wished an audience to be in attendance for her dealings. They…did have a right to be frightened of her, her abilities, her magic were…renowned as whispers among the villages. Her ability to control the animals with her music meant she could just as easily turn them on the people around her than lead them out of the towns. It was funny, how THAT seemed to be the part that startled men and women the most, the thought of the insects swarming at them instead of their crops when really, they should be more concerned with the more complicated animals she could control with her music.

Still, she held her tongue, her resources were dwindling and she needed to refill her money pouch. Perhaps she would try to get a cloak. She was currently travelling in a gown, one she had bartered with from another woman in a prior town. It was simple, long sleeved, grey in color, going down to her feet. It was a bit big on her, but then again she might just be thinner than she used to be. Her boots too, would soon need to be replaced, they were growing worn and she needed them. Perhaps a new pair of boots before a cloak, the temperature was still quite warm, she wouldn't need a cloak for a few months yet.

She shook her head, focusing back on the task at hand, she was hardly ever paid in advance, she would have to wait till she'd completed her task before thinking of how she would use her payment. Most men and women hardly believed she could actually do what she claimed, if they didn't want proof in the smallest form, they wanted her to entirely complete her task before they would pay her. Often, in situations like that, they were too startled and stunned that she truly could erase an infestation from a town so simply that they handed over the money to her. She wasn't quite sure how this town would go though, every town was different and every mayor was different.

She stepped into the tavern, the escort hurrying past her to a rather…she wouldn't say plump, no the man was utterly obese, his portly gut sticking out so far that his chair was back at least one foot from the table he was sitting at. She was surprised he could even reach the table, but the drumstick in his hand was enough to prove he could easily force himself to reach for the food. There was a large tankard of ale set before him as well, and his cheeks were already red and merry from the drink. He seemed to have no hair on his head, on the top at least, but a long patch of it around the sides and base of his head, connecting down along his sideburns to a rather large beard. His hair was brown, his eyes blue, and he was younger than she expected. Still older than she was, perhaps he had a daughter or someone near her age, that was how old he appeared.

To be quite honest, she was surprised he was still alive and that his gut hadn't crushed him in his sleep.

But that was neither here nor there, for the man looked at her, nearly dropping his drumstick when he realized who she was. He quickly stood, the music that had been playing lightly in the background stopping as the man half-waddled his way towards her, "So you are the Pied Piper?" he spoke, his voice louder than it needed to be.

She was setting a record for how often she wanted to roll her eyes it appeared. She could just tell what sort of man this was. He was drawing attention to her for a reason, he was clearly one of the ones who didn't believe she could do what she claimed and wanted to humiliate her by making everyone recognize her so when she 'failed' he could jeer at her.

"That is what they call me," she gave a short nod.

"You don't look like much," the man eyed her.

"And you do not look competent enough to handle your own problems," she countered right back, "Hence why you have called me in."

The man's face darkened at that insult, "I'll have you know I am MORE than competent," he stated, his hand balling into a fist, "My sister is the queen of this realm."

"And my cousin is the queen of another," she remarked dryly, knowing that the man would think that she didn't believe him, that she was jesting back to him, mocking him. It was surprising how much people took as a lie when it was, in fact, the truth, "But I do not believe our families are why I am here. I understand you have a bit of a…" she looked down, lifting the hem of her dress a moment, seeing a rat scuttling across it, "Rodent problem?"

The man grit his teeth, clearly wanting to retort, clearly wanting the last word over her, but he held back, he was in the presence of many of the men of the town and he had to be seen as the leader, "Yes," he nodded, "There are more mice here than we can handle, than we can trap, than our cats can hunt. We wish to be rid of them all."

Piper nodded slowly at that, "It is no problem for me," she agreed, "I can easily rid you of them, as you wish. There is only the matter of the price to be paid for my services."

"And what would that be?" his eyes narrowed.

"30 gold pieces."

"What?!" the man scoffed as a few men behind him began to grumble and shout in outrage at what they seemed to think was a steep price, "5 gold pieces."

"20."

"10, and not a shaving more!"

"20."

"No," the man shook his head, "I will NOT have you rape my people of their hard work and wages for some…some…some mere irritation."

"A mere irritation would not require my being here at all," Piper reminded him with an air of disinterest, "If you wish me gone, I shall go. And you shall be left here, with your rats and mice, with them knowing away at your ropes and walls and food, eating your fields and your stores of surplus. You will be surrounded by them as they take all that you have for food and move on to your animals, feasting on them before they too are devoured which would leave…" she trailed off, mock in thought, "You," she smirked at him, "You and your people. Your men and women and children, at the mercy of the rodents you could have so easily been removed of. How long, I wonder, before they begin to attempt nibbling at your toes…" her smirk widened as the men fell silent, "Or have they already?" she shook her head, "Once they have a taste of meat they will not stop till they have eaten it all."

"Stop," the mayor cut in, his face turning a rather remarkable shade of green. He sighed, looking around at the people around him, "20 gold pieces?" he turned back to her.

"20," she nodded, "And I, and your rats, shall never darken the gates of this town again."

The man let out a long breath, before reaching out a hand (one she was disgusted to see was covered in turkey juices) to shake on it, "Deal."

~8~

Piper returned to Hamelin the next night, having told the mayor she would give him 24 hours to gather her payment, that she would be back the same time the next night, clear the rats out within the hour, and expect her payment then. And, true to her word, there she was, standing in the middle of the town, having been guided there by the mayor himself as she needed to be right in the center to truly gather every rat to her. She looked up at the sky a moment, the moon half full but with the lights of the town and the torches lit here and there, she had more than enough light to see by. She took a breath and lifted her pipe to her lips, letting out the melody she'd used a few times before to drive rodents away, it was similar to the one that she'd used for the insects, for luring animals to her, but slightly more complex as this time it wasn't just an animal gathering, but more like a follow the leader. She waited patiently, playing her melodies out into the night air, the haunting tune reaching out, creeping through the town, to every last inch within the walls of it.

She smirked to herself when she saw it, a line of rodents heading for her, starting to gather around her, every single rat of every shape and size and color, piling before her, all of them squeaking, their whiskers twitching, their gazes on her. They sat there, all of them waiting till she was sure that every rat was around her. She held a long note and turned on her heel, the rats behind her parting to the side to allow her through. She could vaguely see people watching her from their windows as she walked down the main street of the town, the melody drawing the rats, compelling them to follow her, not a single one able to resist the magic she was exuding. She focused on the rats though, on keeping the song going, on getting the rats out of there. She looked up, seeing the guards at the gate open them quickly, all of them staring at her with wide eyes, yes...this was a town where they hadn't believed the tales of her abilities.

Well, she had proven them wrong once more.

She led the rats out, into the forest, to a stream she had come across on her way there, always she looked for ways to dispose of the pests she removed, the water was always her first and more favored option. She brought the rats to the edge of the water, and made her way across it, stepping on rock after rock, till she was in the middle of the stream and turned to the rats again. She played on, the tune becoming tempting, alluring, and watched as rat after rat stepped into the water, trying to make their way to her...only to be swept away by the river, the rats not even trying to swim or stay afloat, allowing themselves to be drowned by the unrelenting waters. She waited till the very last rat had entered the water, till it had been taken away as well, watching as she slowly lowered her pipe, making sure that every rat had drowned and would not drag its way out of the water to return to Hamelin before grinning at her job well done.

She moved back across the rocks, to the woods, following the path back to the town, only to frown when she saw the gates were shut and sealed before her. The guards were at the top, more than there should have been, almost seeming to flank along the edge of the town's wall...with the mayor in the center.

She bit down her need to demand an explanation for this, she could guess what it was. A town or two had not wanted her to enter their line once she had completed her duty, the more magically fearful towns that had been at the end of their rope and at their last chance for peace. They would block her out, toss her her payment and request her to leave. It appeared this would be much the same.

So, instead, she merely called up, "I have fulfilled my end of the bargain," she told the mayor, "Your rodents are no more, nor shall they return."

The man nodded, "Here," he tossed her a bag, landing it at her feet, "Your payment."

She frowned and picked up the small pouch, turning it over and pursing her lips, "Our agreement was 20 gold coins," she reminded him.

"And I offered first 5," the man grinned, "What shall you do Piper?" he taunted, gesturing to the sides where the men lifted their weapons, aiming crossbows at her, "You think you can attack us?"

Piper's eyes narrowed at that, "Where is the rest of my payment?"

The man held up a second pouch, shaking it around to jingle, "And it shall go to the town's coffers. We need it more than you."

She doubted that, the man's gut was so large she could imagine it took a gold coin a week to help him maintain that size just in food alone, "You WILL give me the rest of my payment."

"Or what?" the man sneered, "You cannot turn the rats against us, you took care of them already. You will never get your hands on this gold."

Piper looked at him a very long while, before she smirked, "Then I shall have to take something FAR more precious."

"You will never set foot in this town again," the man declared, "You shall have nothing from us. Away with you."

But Piper's smirk just darkened, "You should not have done this," she warned, "Beware, what shall come will be on YOUR head."

And with that she turned, disappearing back into the line of trees as the men glanced at each other and the mayor warily.

~8~

The children.

The most precious thing to any person.

THAT was what she had taken, the very next night to be truthful, the irony in that was not lost on any of the townspeople, that she had managed to spirit their children away in the dead of night, without even setting foot in the town. The night before a faint melody had drifted through the town from outside the gates, had lulled every single person that was still awake to sleep and driven those already asleep to a deeper one. The children, however...they were affected differently. All the children had woken in a daze, had walked out of their rooms in a trance-like state. Ooh but it was clever, the elder children even took the babies, the toddlers, the ones who couldn't walk were helped. Every single child had disappeared come morning, with a trail that led from every home to the streets to the gates and out to the woods...where the Piper had been standing at the edge of that morning, grinning dangerously, knowingly, her arms crossed and her pipe held firmly in her hand.

An ultimatum had been given, that she would return that night and two things would happen. The first was that she would be given the rest of her payment, but adding 5 coins to it. She wanted her FULL payment given to her in one go, ignoring the 5 that had already been paid to her. And the second was that she would make 1 single demand and that the townspeople would fulfill it, or else they would never see their children again.

No one wanted to think what that meant. The Piper had proven that she could control the minds of the children as easily as she could the animals, and that meant...she could drown them too. She could have them stand stationary and starve to death. She could have them walk off a cliff or gather them in a house and set it aflame or turn them into an army or so many other things that would keep them apart from their families and it was terrifying them all, the mothers especially, to think of what she could do to them. There was talk she might even be able to use her music to kill, not even to lure someone to drown or jump but to literally kill them with just the music. They didn't want that, they didn't want that to happen to their children. They had immediately turned on the mayor, demanded he make the payment, that he hand it over so that they could have their children back with them and he had begrudgingly agreed. HE hadn't seen the harm in it, having felt the children were nuisances and ankle biters, not having children of his own save his niece.

And so when Piper stepped back to the gates of the town, they were opened for her. That had been part of her demand, she wanted the mayor to present her the money in front of everyone, in the middle of the town. The man had nearly refused, not wanting to seem like he was weak or backing down or to be humiliated by the Piper in front of everyone, but they forced his hand.

Piper smirked as she stood before the mayor, her back straight, shoulders back, head high, as regal as a queen, and held her hand out to the mayor, waiting for her payment. The man grumbled but handed over a heavier pouch, but she wasn't going to leave it at that. She turned it over in her hand, inspecting the coins and counting them, making the townspeople shift and glance around, worried the man had tried to swindle her once more, that they would never see their children again...when she nodded, slipping the coins back into the bag and affixing it to her waist.

"This is acceptable," she told them.

"Then return the children," the mayor demanded.

But Piper smirked, tsking him, "I do believe you are forgetting the second part of our agreement. My demand."

"And what is it?" the mayor frowned.

"You," she told him, "You tried to back out of our bargain, you tried to double cross me. That will not do."

"And what, you wish to make an example out of me?" he scoffed.

She hummed, as though considering that notion, "Yes, perhaps I do."

"Well you already have," he crossed his arms, seeming almost petulant, "You've humiliated me before my town. What more do you want from me?"

"Your life," she said, as though she were commenting on the stars above them.

The man paled, "I...what?'

"Your life," she repeated, "You treated me with no respect or honor..." she started to smirk again, "I shall treat you with no mercy."

She lifted her pipe to her lips when he cried out, "No! No please, please! I'll do whatever you wish. Please don't kill me!"

She chuckled darkly at that, the pipe an inch away from her lips, "Who said _I_ would kill you?" she shook her head, "You forget, I can control humans as easily as I control animals."

No sooner had the words left her mouth, did she lift the pipe to her lips and begin to play. And no sooner had the song begun, did the mayor notice a change in the people gathered around him. He gasped, his eyes widening in horror as he watched her song take them over, and realized...that hadn't been the point of her wanting him surrounded by the people at all. She hadn't been aiming to humiliate him...but trap him. Because now he was enclosed by all the people of his town, and SHE was in complete control of their minds.

Piper kept her eyes on the mayor as the man tried to escape, but was blocked by the men and women coming under her control, the group of them pushing in towards him, falling into a dazed, trance-like state where they knew only what the music made them feel. She recalled, vaguely, that this should feel wrong, that it used to feel wrong to her. Humans were too complex, humans shouldn't be controlled, that it was wrong to force her will on others like this. But that feeling had long since faded when she realized not all humans deserved to have free will if it meant they'd use it to harm someone else. She had experienced it first hand, the only thing that had saved her was her magic, was her song controlling those around her and putting an end to it all. She had long ago moved past the notion that this was wrong, and realized...it was necessary. At times, THIS was something that needed to happen.

She played on, watching the music build, feeling it grow angrier, more raging, more passionate and frenzied. She watched the people around her starting to move more aggressively towards the mayor, their hands reaching out to him, more like claws than hands, grasping at his uniform, tugging at it, tearing at it, ripping it off him. But the ripping didn't stop there, no, the cloth was not the only thing they ripped away from him.

She stepped back, allowing the entirety of the mob she'd created to enclose on the man, surround him completely, and grinned darkly as she listened to his screams be drowned out by her music as she played louder, making the magic stronger, making it inescapable. She closed her eyes for a moment, knowing she wouldn't be able to see what was happening, but imagining the expressions on the townspeople's faces when they woke the next morning to see what they'd done...and not remember a single detail of it.

~8~

Piper stood at the gates of Hamelin for the last time, smirking up at her handiwork, tilting her head as she observed the unseeing eyes of the mayor, his head resting on a pike in the center of the gates, his neck rather badly hacked away but such was the fate when the hacking was done by a small hatchet instead of a sword or large executioner's axe. Her gaze followed the trickle of blood dripping down the man's neck, down the wood, to the gate, following it all to the red that was stained in a line at the base of it. She turned her head, left to right, her eyes fixed on the bottom of the wooden wall around the town, seeing red and pink as far as her eye could see, littered around the bottom of it.

She nearly laughed as she heard a scream sound from within the town, the people waking up and running into the streets to check if their children were back, only to see their beloved mayor...what was left of him anyway. She chuckled darkly at that and lifted her pipe to her lips once more, playing a gentler tune than she had the night before, calling the children from the woods, calling them back to the town. She stepped up to the gates, looking up as the guards peered over, both pale and green and horrified as they looked down at her. It took only a moment to realize that she was returning the children before the gates were opened. The children stepped into the town, still in a daze, as she stood there where she was, just outside the line of it, eyeing the men and women standing within, their gazes flickering from the head to their children, before their children won out and they rushed to them. the moment the last child had been embraced she stopped her song.

She gave a deep, mocking bow to the people and waved just as mockingly to them as the gates closed quickly before her, the town desperate to keep her out. It was a foolish notion, she had already proven that she could control every single person in that town, no matter their age or gender, she could easily have the guards fall to their death off the wall or open the gates to her, but instead she turned and walked along the wall, her business was concluded and she had no more use for Hamelin.

She cast a glance down at the ground as she reached a portion of the wall that curved to the left, a place where she was to continue straight and crouched down. She reached out and picked up a small pink lump that was lying amidst the red and turned it over in her fingers. The mayor's pinky finger was as thick as two of her own it appeared. She tossed the finger back down on the ground and stood, looking at the trail of red and pink, knowing that it was lining the entirety of the wall, the mayor's blood and body, hacked to pieces, torn apart, by his very people in their frenzy. And now they'd be left to wonder if they had done this, this terrible awful act, or if it had been her playing a trick on them.

Either way, she knew that Hamelin WOULD serve as an example. News of this deed, this act of retaliation would spread to many more villages and kingdoms. And she knew it was for the best, because others would learn a lesson from Hamelin. They would learn the most important aspect of making a bargain with her, to uphold their end as much as she did hers.

One must _always_ pay the Piper.

A/N: ...I'm honestly not sure where this came from lol. Piper's true darkness just sort of got away from me here. I feel like, the original story of Hamelin was quite startling, that someone could steal the children away and no one would ever see them again. But here...I wanted it to be even more chilling to know that someone had THIS much power over them. They could take their children, could do anything to them and the children wouldn't fight, could force an entire town to become murderers and literally tear someone to peices...and not even realize they'd done it. Semi-inspired, I suppose, by the Bacchites of Roman myth/culture. Women who worshiped Bacchus to the point where they would enter frenzied trances and tear men apart limb from limb :( I think anyone who experienced this would most certainly never ever try to turn the tables on the Piper.

I hope this lived up to the expectations of how Hamelin was so much more horrific and dark than the original tale and why it would make Rumple interested in her and others wary }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Nope, Snow will have another conversation to be had in place of speaking to Regina }:) We'll have to wait and see where August goes, there's a small twist to what happens to him, a sort of vague line in the show that I'll be taking a bit more seriously.

Oh Piper will definitely be bringing up her parents and her reasons for doing what she did, she was just holding it in so that the act of revenge wouldn't be seen coming, something she'll also go a little more into tomorrow ;)

Piper will have a few words still to say to Regina, a bit of an echo to Regina's line about someone never thinking of the consequences ;)

True, it was not quite a murder given all Cora's crimes ;) They definitely forget she's part siren a lot, mostly because they don't have much experience around Sirens, and for Snow she just sees her cousin and doesn't think about the siren half, it'll be coming up more and more as the story goes on ;) That was one thing that annoyed me as well, the good side never seems to realize that it's not black and white but gray. That's why I'm sort of afraid that, come Season 4, everyone will be all 'Emma you did a good thing, you saved someone's life, it's not your fault, you were being a hero' instead of making her realize that she altered time, which has serious consequences, she hurt Regina and, in my opinion, she'll be forcing two people to experience the death of someone all over again (it's my thought that someone destined to die, Fate will catch up to them). Like they'll see Emma saved a life instead of everything wrong with doing it and the consequences that'll come from it :(

I found it odd that Snow did that in the show as well, and then how they didn't really bring up the black spot in her heart again after that much :/ Here it was sort of like her realizing that, in not acting, she was forcing her baby cousin to act in her place, and she didn't want that, she wanted to be the responsible one...not realizing that it was Piper's goal the entire time to kill Cora to get revenge on Regina :)


	33. Welcome to Storybrooke

Welcome to Storybrooke

A small stone coffin rested in the mausoleum of Regina Mills, the woman standing beside it, looking down at the grey color of it, knowing that her mother's body rested within it.

"Black always was your color," Mr. Gold's voice drifted over to her.

She winced, she had put a magical barrier on the vault, to keep everyone else out, but she should have known that he would come seeking her out, "I'm here to bury my mother. So if you've come to gloat…"

"Actually," another voice called and she stiffened, feeling rage fill her at the sound of Piper's voice, "I came to offer you my many thanks."

Regina's hands curled into fists and a fire sprouted in them.

"Oh I wouldn't try that dearie," Gold spoke, "I may have taught you everything you know, as I did your mother, but it is a far cry from everything I know. But," he sighed, "By all means, do try to attack her and leave Henry with only one mother."

The fires went out and Regina spun around, "How dare you…" she began, glaring at Piper.

"Oh come now Regina," Piper nearly rolled her eyes, "I really _must_ thank you."

"For what?!" she snapped.

"You taught me the art of revenge," she began, a small smirk on her face, "Or…shall we say, you taught me what NOT to do when it comes to that lovely act," she watched Regina's face contort in barely veiled confusion, "Do you truly think that you failed to kill Snow White because of her own actions?" she shook her head, "No, there were quite a few times I actually wondered if you were truly TRYING."

"I wanted her dead!" Regina shouted.

"Then she would have been dead," Piper stated simply, the true and honest belief that if Regina had wanted Snow White dead more than anything, Snow would have died, but she didn't, "And yet she is not. She always escaped, there was always some way out of every attempt on her life. You tried traps and tricks instead of a direct and planned out attack," she began to list, "And you made the largest mistake by making it a public spectacle, hardly going to help you go after her if your actions allowed her to build alliances. Tell me, how many people ran to help her when you got near? Because they KNEW you were after her?" she shook her head, "You made it too obvious and in doing that, you made others want to help her. And then you took out everyone around her that stood in your way to get to her?" she scoffed, "How would that do anything besides build more support for her? Besides make the families of those you had slain vow revenge of their own? No, I learned quite a bit of my revenge from you. I learned to be subtle. I learned to hold my cards to my chest. And I learned to only target the one I wanted and harm no other in that quest. Because of that…YOU are the only one who suffered."

"Nice speech," Regina glared at her, not about to admit how shaken she was by what Piper had said, how…true many of her words were. If she had just kept her rage quiet another day, she could have killed Snow White in her sleep, could have tricked her into eating the apple before she even met her prince, but no…she'd been too quick, too flamboyant in her attempts. All it had served to do was make an army against her.

"Well I am a queen as well," Piper smirked at that, not technically, she hadn't been coronated and her kingdom had been burned to the ground, but in name and tradition and blood, yes…she was.

"Hardly wise for a Queen to start a war with another," Regina spat.

"Like you did with Snow?" Piper shot right back, irritating Regina more, "But alas, you have missed the point in all this. There is no war to be fought."

"The hell there isn't!" Regina raged, "You murdered my mother!"

"And you murdered my father," Piper countered, "Which, in turn, led to my mother's death. You also invaded my kingdom, slaughtered my people, and burned it all to the ground. Tell me, who would have more right to declare war as the attacked party in such a situation?" she shook her head, "You go on and on to Snow about how her actions led to Daniel's death, how her choice to tell Cora the secret brought you misery, how she did not stop to think of the consequences," she eyed Regina, "Tell me…when will you?"

"When will I what?" Regina rolled her eyes.

"When will YOU think of the consequences?" Piper wondered, "You are so quick to point a finger at me for killing your mother, when you fail to realize, had you not killed my father, I would not have done what I had. I wanted revenge on YOU, Regina, for what you did to me, out of nowhere, for no reason other than being Snow's cousin. YOU acted first, you acted rashly, and you acted with foul intent. YOUR actions drove me to this. THIS is the consequence you must suffer for it."

"And the consequence YOU will suffer is making an enemy of ME," Regina glared.

"I rather think we are even now instead of enemies," Piper remarked off handedly, not even seeming concerned that Regina was threatening her. She knew her words had gotten to the woman, but she would refuse to bring that up or admit to it before other people, "I have pushed aside many things I once thought about you, Regina, in order to see my revenge through, and now that I have," she shrugged, "Who knows what the future will hold."

"If you're proposing an alliance…"

"Hardly," Piper laughed at that, "I am merely saying that I shall not be trying to kill you in the future, unless you attack me first. You see…I wait till others do me wrong before I retaliate and only retaliate to the one who did me harm, defense is easier to be forgiven for than offense."

"Offense?" Regina shook her head, "How's this for offense?" she glanced at Gold, "You may be able to hide behind your dagger," and turned to Piper, "But you can't. You are going to die for what you did."

Piper shook her head and looked at Gold, "Has she always been this thick?" she had to ask. She'd only had a handful of interactions with Regina before and after the curse had been cast and broken.

"You so much as try it dearie," Gold looked at Regina, "And not only will I kill you first. But we both know even attempting to kill her will cost you the thing you want most, Henry. He's rather fond of Pip, imagine what he'd think if you took her away from him?"

"Revenge takes energy Regina," Piper remarked, "To focus it on just one person takes time and effort, but you? Vendettaing against the whole of Storybrooke for what might quite possibly be imagined slights? You had best give up vengeance. For someone like YOU, it will never make you happy."

"And yet it seems to have lightened YOUR soul," Regina pointed out, noting the slightest of differences in Piper's demeanor since she'd killed Cora.

"I AM part Siren," she reminded the woman, "Betrayal hardens our hearts, revenge softens it."

Regina nearly laughed at that, "She's as twisted as you," she muttered to Gold, "Stone where her heart should be."

"At least MY heart is whole," Piper replied.

"You had a whole curse worth of vengeance, and what did it get you, a gaping hole in your heart," Gold agreed.

"That was your curse," Regina turned to him.

"Which _you_ cast. Still haven't learned your lesson, have you?"

"What lesson?"

"The same one your mother learned a long time ago. You can't have everything. She wanted power, ripped out her own heart to get it."

"If you are so set on your vengeance against me, against Snow," Piper added, "You will have to be willing to pay the price…and Henry will be it. You attack us, you lose him."

"Time to cut your losses."

"Never," Regina hissed, "I will have my son and I _will_ have my vengeance. I will find a way to have everything."

"Well then," Piper sighed, "Best of luck with that," she offered, before turning to Gold, "Shall we to lunch?"

Gold chuckled at that, reaching out his arm to her to hold like a gentleman, knowing that Regina was likely seething in anger behind them at how flippant Piper was being about her swearing revenge, as though she didn't think the woman would do it…or perhaps knowing she would never succeed in it.

~8~

Emma and David were standing to the side of Mary Margaret's apartment, watching as Mary Margaret paced before them, the woman was silent, had been silent since Cora had been killed. Piper had just looked at them all like she had simply swatted at a fly and then…went on with her day as normal, actually going to get a hot chocolate with Gold while Regina sat on the floor, cradling her dead mother, before disappearing in a swirl of purple smoke, leaving them all completely stunned. Mary Margaret had been the most stunned of them all, Emma less so. Emma had only ever known the Piper, known who she was from the point of entering Storybrooke and seeing her in action going toe to toe with Regina and ripping out Hook's heart in the Enchanted Forest. SHE could easily see Piper going so far as to do what she had, not that she was comfortable with it.

Mary Margaret had been hit the hardest…because she was the only one there that knew what Rose Red had been like as a child. There had always been…traces…of a darkness in her cousin, at almost every age there was just something different about her. She saw depressing features in the clouds, she was willing to use a prisoner's life to save Eva, and the older she grew, the more…mature she became. If mature was the right word. It was the word she had used to describe her cousin for so many years, not wanting to think that the calm and distant way she handled difficult things was a sign of something else wrong with her. She knew her cousin was part siren but she was always first and foremost her cousin, not a sire, not a human, not a princess, just…her cousin. She KNEW there were signs of something like this coming, she knew there was a danger in her cousin living a hard life and what it could turn her into…

But to see it happen before her? To see her cousin so easily curse a woman's heart and kill her and see nothing wrong with it? That she hadn't been prepared for.

She could think it was possible, she could fear it happening, but to actually experience it was heartbreaking. Always, in the back of her mind, she tried to rationalize what Piper did, to justify it in a way, argue it so that it wasn't as bad as it looked. But this was just…she had no words, and it was worse to know that SHE had been on the verge of doing it. She genuinely wasn't sure what was worse, that she was going to do it in some twisted way to prove to her cousin that she could be a ruler and hard choices and protect Piper from having to do it, or that Piper had felt the need to protect HER from doing something so…dark. The way Piper had been talking about it all, it was like she was prepared to do it to save Gold, that she knew what would be coming and was ok with it. And she just…her cousin had suffered so much darkness and hardship already in her life, possibly more so than SHE had, and she wanted to spare her. And because she felt responsible, she forced her cousin's hand.

"Anything?" Emma asked David quietly.

"She won't say a word," David shook his head sadly.

"What's wrong?" Henry made his way over to them, having noticed that Mary Margaret seemed very agitated and concerned.

"Nothing," Emma said quickly, "She's just a little sick."

Henry shook his head at that, frowning, "You guys are lying to me, aren't you?"

"No one's lying," Emma insisted.

"You should know by now Emma," Piper's voice called as the door opened and she and Gold walked in, "You lie to the boy all it does is drive him away," she turned to give Henry a small smile, "Snow is upset the lengths I went to to stop Cora."

"Piper!" Emma huffed.

"He deserves to know," Piper stated.

"So what happened?" Henry turned to Piper, giving her his full attention, knowing she'd be honest with him as she always had been.

"Rummy was dying and Cora was trying to kill him so that she could become the Dark One and use her power to, likely, harm the rest of us," Piper crouched down so she could look him in the eye, knowing that was important to show the truth in the statement, "There is a candle, that allows two people to switch places when they are wounded or ill or dying."

"And…you used it on Cora?" Henry guessed.

"Yes," Piper nodded, "I used it on her heart, and put it back in her chest, and Rummy lived while Cora died."

"So…why's Mary Margaret so upset?" Henry shook his head.

"Because it was wrong," David reached out, tugging Henry back, seeing Mary Margaret wince at how similar Henry's reaction was to Rose Red's at the first introduction of the candle, he did NOT want his grandson to think it was ok to do what Piper had done, "Cora should never have died."

"But she was going to hurt everyone…"

"We don't know that kid," Emma sighed, "We can guess it but…we didn't know what she was going to do."

"I will not lie and say it was not partially done in revenge against Regina, Henry," Piper shrugged, "There were…many factors that went into what I did. Killing…numerous birds with one stone so to speak."

"I just…" Mary Margaret began, only to fall silent again, looking at Piper with tears in her eyes, shaking her head, her heart breaking at how Piper didn't even seem very affected by how devastated she was.

"It was only partially revenge, Snow," Piper repeated, "I was also trying to protect my family," she let out a long breath and turned to Henry, "Henry, what I did, I did because I am a villain…"

"But you're Snow White's cousin!" Henry defended.

"And Regina was her stepmother," Piper reminded him, "Family…it does not always mean we are on the same side at all times. I can be her cousin, while also being a villain. Being one does not mean I am her enemy just…" she paused, trying to think of the words to describe it, "Just that I will be willing to do things that the heroes will not, for the sake of my family."

"Look," David cut in, "Did you come here to apologize to Mary Margaret?"

"No," Piper said simply, "I merely came to keep you updated on some events.

"Then you can text it to us and get out," David pointed to the door, knowing that Piper and what she was saying was upsetting his wife even more.

"Oh I think you're gonna wanna hear what we have to say," Gold shook his head, "For your wife's sake. Unless you are of the opinion that Piper's actions warrant her death?"

"What are you talking about?" Emma frowned.

"Regina has once again vowed vengeance," Piper rolled her eyes, sounding more exasperated than frightened.

"She's planning to strike back against Pip," Gold added, "And then it will only be a matter of time before she comes after your Charming family."

"What is she gonna do?" Henry looked at Piper in concern, even if he wasn't happy to know that what Piper had done, whatever it was, had been more villainous than heroic, she was still his aunt(?) and his family.

"Oh, she didn't say," Gold shrugged, "But," he grinned, "I don't take kindly to people threatening my love," he wound an arm around Piper, "I merely stopped by to ask if you would like to help figure out what Regina's up to?"

"Go," Mary Margaret turned to David, "Please."

David sighed but nodded, grabbing his coat and heading to the door with Gold, leaving Piper there with Emma and Henry.

"I think we need to talk Snow," Piper looked at her cousin.

"Yeah," Mary Margaret nodded, dropping her arms from where they had been crossed, "We do. Emma?" she looked at her daughter, "Could you and Henry give us…"

"Yeah," Emma cut in, "Come on kid, let's go to the park," she gestured for Henry to follow her, the two of them stepping out of the room, glancing back to see the cousins on either side, staring each other down.

~8~

Mary Margaret stared at her cousin in silence for a long while. Now that they actually had the chance to speak…she really didn't know what to say. She could almost tell, even before she opened her mouth, that this might turn into an argument but still…she supposed she had to say something. This had to be resolved, once and for all.

"How could you do it Rose?" she breathed.

Piper gave her a look, "Do you mean how could I kill Cora or are you speaking generally of the things I have done in the past as well?"

Mary Margaret swallowed hard, wincing at the reminder. For one moment she'd been so focused on Cora that she'd almost forgotten what other foul deeds the Pied Piper had done. Hamelin, James (though she didn't count that one), and so many other things. The stories and tales and whispers of the Pied Piper were spooky and stomach churning to hear and it was so disconcerting to her, to know that all that time, all those tales she heard and commented on…all that time it had been HER cousin that had been creating them.

"I killed Cora, because that was my plan all along," Piper began, "Ever since Rummy told me that she had been banished to Wonderland and I realized she was alive. Ever since that moment, Snow, I planned to use Cora, to get revenge on Regina," she stepped more into the room and sat down at the chair by the kitchen counter, "A part of it was to protect you and keep you from doing what I did, but a very large part was that it was my original plan and one that _I_ wanted to see through."

Mary Margaret closed her eyes, not sure she wanted to know, not sure she wanted Piper to have to relive this in explaining it, but…she needed to know, to understand why her cousin had been so set on revenge in the first place, "You said she stopped uncle's heart?"

Piper nodded solemnly, "Just after you escaped her Huntsman," she explained, "You know she came to my kingdom, that she slaughtered many people and burned it all to the ground."

"Yes," she nodded, opening her eyes to look at Piper, "It was why I thought you were dead. They said the royal family had been killed."

"The Huntsman rescued me, as he did you. I was behind that tapestry in the throne room, about to escape, when she entered with mother and father," Piper took a breath, "I watched as she ripped father's heart out and crushed it into dust. Mother followed soon after as she had tied herself to him."

"Oh my god Rose…" Mary Margaret breathed, her eyes wide, her hand over her mouth in horror. Her father had died at the hands of the Genie, but at least she hadn't had to see the actual act of it.

Piper nodded, "I swore, from that moment, that I would see to it that Regina suffered the very same for destroying my family. I had originally planned to kill her father, a father for a father, but…Rummy told me once about the Dark Curse, about what it would mean and what would be needed for it. Regina would take care of her father herself and that just left her mother. She took both my parents, I wanted her to experience losing both as well."

Mary Margaret frowned at that, "You were planning this all along, weren't you?"

Piper nodded again, "Yes. I could do nothing to Cora in the Enchanted Forest, I wanted Regina to watch it happen like I did," her voice grew bitter and dark as she recalled seeing her parents murdered, "And when Cora came to Storybrooke…it was only a matter of how I would do it. She gave me the opportune moment in going after Rummy."

They were silent for a long while before Piper spoke again, having been studying her cousin, "It _was_ partly to keep you from doing it as well Snow," she added.

"Because I would have messed up your plans?" now it was Mary Margaret's turn to sound bitter.

"Because it would have darkened your heart," Piper stated, "Murder of any kind does that. And it was aunt Eva's dying wish that that NEVER happen to you. You know how I feel about family Snow."

"And you know how _I_ feel too!" Mary Margaret shouted, "I was trying to protect YOU. Rose do you know what I heard the entire time you and Gold were talking? YOUR voice in my head saying that I didn't have what it takes to make the hard decisions. All my life I never have been able to do it and stick to it and because of that people I loved suffered. Mother died, David had to wage war against George, Regina cast the curse. I should have been the one to see this through."

"And your heart would have been darkened because of it," Piper raised her voice, matching Mary Margaret's, "I could not let that happen."

"So you just darkened your own heart," Mary Margaret shook her head, "That doesn't make me feel better Rose!"

"My heart was already dark! Sirens are inherently DARK creatures Snow. From the moment I was born my heart had darkness in it. You KNOW that. You SAW that as we grew older. I was always different from everyone else and no matter how hard I tried to be like the others it never worked," she took a breath, "Snow…you are my cousin and I love you. I know you love me as well, but…I think it is time that you realize…I am WHAT I am just as much as who I am," she gave Mary Margaret a look, "THAT was another reason I stayed with Rummy for so long. He saw me as…me. He saw the Piper, he saw the half-Siren, he saw my darkness and how hard my heart was and he accepted me. He was the first person I have ever met who accepted me fully."

"_I_ accepted you," Mary Margaret whispered, tears in her eyes.

"You once told me that Red Riding Hood knew you were her best friend because you accepted the girl and the wolf where her grandmother favored the girl and her mother favored the wolf," Piper began, trying to make her see that she really had NOT accepted her in the way she needed her to, "You see me as your cousin and I am. But Snow…I needed you to accept me as a girl and a siren, not a third option," she took a breath, "I met Rummy when he was the Dark One, not when he was a mortal sent back from the Ogre Wars. I accept him as he is and how he is in the now because THAT is the man I met and that is the man I came to love just as equally as he accepts me for who I am now. I need you to accept that I am not pure of heart Snow, I hold darkness in me, I will do dark things and that…that is GOOD."

"How is that good?" Mary Margaret whispered, "How can you live with yourself, knowing all the bad things you've done and knowing you'll do more bad things?"

"Because it protects YOU," Piper told her, "Snow," she let out a frustrated breath, "Do you remember the end to our argument, where I told you that you could not handle being a ruler?"

Mary Margaret nodded, a small trace of a smile on her face, "You were such a hypocrite."

"I still am," Piper could admit that, "I want you to be strong enough to make those decisions…but I also do not want you to HAVE to make them. Just like with our fathers. My father could handle the executions, yours could not. You make a decision Snow, and _I _will see it through, so you do not have to. It has not, does not, and will not affect me as badly as it would you. We are two very different people Snow, we always have been."

"Two ends of a rope," Mary Margaret murmured, "But closer than knots."

Piper smiled at that, "Yes. But…you are the sort of person who needs someone at your side. You need someone you can rely on and draw strength from. Whether that be friends or allies or a love of your own, you thrive in a group as much as I prefer the few. I am better at isolation and standing on my own and…that only grew worse during Regina's reign. It took…ages for me to feel comfortable relying on Rummy or letting him stand with me. And before I met him, Snow, I had to learn to stand on my own and fight my own battles. You…were surrounded by friends in your exile, friends who helped you and supported you. I had to fend for my own in less than savory conditions. I…was hurt," she finally told her cousin, "I was slashed at and beaten and starved. I was whipped and humiliated and used as a pawn. I was nearly…" she cut herself off, NOT wanting to think about James and that guard and what nearly happened, "All that it served to do was harden my heart even more than when mother and father died, when my people were attacked, when my kingdom was burned. I lost everything in a single night Snow and while you had your people and your home still intact…I lost every single thing from my childhood except that pipe you gave me. That nearly killed me Snow," she looked at her cousin, being open and honest and…vulnerable, in a way she hadn't been in such a long time, "I could feel it changing me, I could feel my heart hardening as I had to turn my back on my burning kingdom and walk away. Everything that happened to me after that just made it worse…to the point where YOU were the only thing in my heart and you always were Snow," she got up and walked over to her cousin, taking Mary Margaret's hands, "YOU are the only one that has been in my heart from the beginning Snow and…I am even more protective of you than I ever was before. Because if I lose you, I have lost everything from my past. Emma, Henry, even Rummy, they all came later but YOU, you have been such a permanent part of my heart if I lost you Snow, to…to death or darkness…it would crack even my heart. I will do everything that I can to protect you Snow, whether you like it or not. All I ask…is that you allow me that, that one comfort and reassurance. I trust Emma and your Charming to keep you physically safe, but allow me to keep your heart pure. Please Snow. The Darkness cannot harm me like it could you. And if I can spare you from that, then I will feel like I am doing at least one heroic thing," she squeezed Mary Margaret's hand, "I may be the villain in many things I do, but YOU make me a hero Snow, when I keep you safe."

Mary Margaret let out a long breath at that, touched to hear her cousin say that. That was, undoubtedly, one of the longest speeches she had ever heard her cousin make in the longest time, "I don't like that it will darken your heart," she began, "But…you are my cousin and I will love you no matter what. The…the darkness…" she took a breath, "It IS and always was a part of you and I suppose I just didn't want to see it. Because I didn't see much of it in you when you were just Rosie," she smiled a watery smile, "And I thought, if I denied it, if I tried to keep it from growing, then you'd still be her. But…I'm not the same Snow White that you grew up with and you're not the same Rose Red and…" she nodded, "It's time I accept that. We've been given a chance to start over in a new world and…we're new people. We are both Frosty and Snow White and Mary Margaret…and Rosie and Rose Red and the Piper," she squeezed Piper's hands, "It's time we just…be who we are and accept who we both are."

"Thank you Snow," Piper whispered, leaning in to hug her cousin tightly, Mary Margaret doing the same…only for Piper to pause and frown, "Are you looking down my back?" she asked her, feeling the fabric of her shirt pull away from her back.

"…no," Mary Margaret said slowly.

Piper actually laughed at that though and pulled back, "The scars are gone," she told her, knowing Mary Margaret had been looking for the lash marks from James and his father, "Rummy healed them."

"But…they WERE there then?" Mary Margaret frowned, "James and George they…they really…"

"Whipped me?" Piper finished, "Yes, they did."

"I'm so sorry Rose," Mary Margaret reached up to touch her cousin's face, "You shouldn't have had to endure that."

"It was not pleasant," Piper offered, really not wanting to add more to the guilt she knew Mary Margaret was already feeling, "And I found a way to return the favor."

Mary Margaret let out a breath, "I think we need to lay it all out there," Mary Margaret took her hand and led her to the kitchen table, the two of them sitting down, "You tell me about everything that happened between when you left to get uncle for father's funeral…and when you came back to Storybrooke and I'll tell you the same. Deal?" she added with a small smirk.

Piper smiled at that, "Deal."

~8~

Unfortunately the heart to heart with Mary Margaret had been cut off early, Piper only just getting to the tale of when she decided to use her magic to control others instead of letting people control her and how that related to the scars she had on her thigh (having to reassure her cousin that the scars were also gone courtesy of Rumpelstiltskin) because a phone call had come in from David and Gold about Henry and Regina's plans. The two men had gotten into Regina's vault once more and found evidence of what she was planning and gathered them and Emma and Henry together to explain it.

There was a spell, the Curse of the Empty-Hearted, which would trick someone into loving another, or making them feel like they loved someone. And they all knew that she was going to try it on Henry. Not only would Henry be tricked into thinking he loved Regina, but she would be able to use his own family to see it happen. The spell required the heart of the person she hated the most and while they were sure it was a tie between the woman who killed her first love and the woman who killed her mother (both happening to be cousins), Gold had told them that Piper's heart would not be useful in such a case. Siren hearts were tricky, even for a half-siren, it made it harder, more resilient, less able to be crushed and so it would he rather useless in this situation. But Regina held an equal hatred for Mary Margaret (perhaps more since she'd hated her longer and hadn't had the fondest feelings for her mother) and could use her. Mary Margaret would be dead, her family devastated (she was perhaps crazed enough to want the challenge of facing down an angry siren), and Henry would feel love for her despite that, and that would mean he'd be leverage against Emma in that he'd want her safe and protected and to be with her over his biological mother.

Gold had seemed as though he were staying out of it, which had enraged Emma, Henry, and David, till both Piper and Mary Margaret reminded them of the laws of a blood feud, like the one they shared with Regina. By the laws of their land, a feud such as that could only be finished, affected, or continued by those of that bloodline. Everyone in that room save Gold and David could be involved, it would be the women or Henry's actions that would affect the feud. They could get involved, fight in it, but in terms of solving it or ending it…they couldn't do that. Gold, however, was not about to sit idly by while Regina threatened Piper, and because Piper would be protecting Mary Margaret, he would be involved in that aspect at least. It had been his suggestion to kill Regina though, spoken so offhandedly, that had upset Henry though, because no matter what she was still his adoptive mother and he didn't like how the three other adults were actually almost considering that Gold was right in saying that was the only way to ensure Regina was stopped. He could understand Piper, she was a self-proclaimed villain and Gold's true love, she had reminded them of what Gold had said before Cora died, she was dangerous without her heart, but PIPER had had hers the entire time and done much worse than Cora had, the same could be said for Regina. But Snow White, Prince Charming, and Emma should have argued more instead of going a little too silent which had led to Henry running out with Emma after him. They'd thought that it was all taken care of in terms of Henry, that he'd be protected, Emma was going to ask Neal to take him to New York and away from the magic till they could destroy Regina's spell…

And now they were currently running through the woods because Henry had stolen dynamite and was about to blow up the wishing well (the source of magic's return) so that, in his mind, magic would be removed from the land again. That wasn't how any of it worked, but Henry didn't know that.

Piper and Mary Margaret appeared in the woods in a swirl of red smoke, Gold having transported them there the moment they got the call from David that Henry had taken the dynamite to see Henry standing over the well, holding the dynamite in his hand, a lighter in his other, with Regina right in front of him.

"Henry stop," Piper stepped forward.

"Henry what are you doing?" Regina asked at the same time.

"I'm getting rid of magic," Henry declared, "It's ruining everything, and you can't stop me."

"Henry please," Mary Margaret joined them, "You'll only get hurt doing this. Dynamite is dangerous!"

"It won't get rid of anything," Regina agreed.

"You just say that because you need magic," Henry declared, glaring at Regina, "So you can cast that curse on me."

"I can't lose you, Henry. You mean too much to me."

"Then don't cast the curse. Don't kill Mary Margaret or Piper or anyone!"

"Henry, she has to pay," Regina swallowed, "They both do."

"And here I thought we were at least even," Piper muttered to Regina, making her shoot her a glare to which she shot a mocking smirk back.

"The curse, it won't make me love you for real," Henry stated, pulling Regina's attention back to him, "It'll be fake."

"But it will be something," Regina told him desperately, "I know it's hard for you to understand right now, but you'll see. We can be happy. We can have everything."

But Henry shook his head, "Not like this."

"Hey, Regina!" they all looked over, hearing Emma storming to them with David and Neal, "Get away from my son! He's not yours. He's mine."

"Legally he IS hers," Gold brought up, "She did adopt him dearie and the law won't suddenly change to allow birth mothers the right to their children that they gave up and who were taken in by others. I know, I read the papers Regina and yourself signed. You signed away all your rights to your boy."

"So where's the papers you signed?" Neal bit out, making Gold frown at him.

"After I cast this," Regina cut in, holding up a small scrap of paper, "You'll never see him again."

"That's never gonna happen," David glared.

"You wanna kill Mary Margaret, you're gonna have to go through us," Emma added.

"Oh all of you stop it!" Piper snapped, getting frustrated, "This is NOT about YOU," she looked between Emma and Regina, even Gold and Neal, "THIS is about Henry and what HE needs to have a happy childhood again. Do you truly think having the two mothers in his life at each other's throats and trying to destroy each other will benefit him at all? You are MOTHERS for god's sake!" she snapped, "ACT like it! Start caring _about_ your son more than being the one your son cares about!" she took a deep breath and marched past Emma and Regina till she was standing right before Henry, both women frowning and flinching when they saw Henry make no move to step away from her or to make like he was about to light the dynamite, but that he was waiting to see what she'd do. Piper crouched down to look him in the eye, "Henry," she began, "Magic is an intrinsic talent," she began, "It is a gift that few people have that must be nurtured. I will be the first to admit that yes, I have abused my magic in the past but there is no true way to remove magic once it has been released. You may destroy this well, but the magic is already here. It cannot be taken away now. Do you understand?"

"Magic isn't the problem, kid," Emma agreed, "It's her."

"Emma if you do not shut up I will knock you out," Piper nearly growled over her shoulder, she was NOT helping this situation by antagonizing Regina into attacking, "What part of stop trying to destroy each other was so hard to comprehend? All you are going to do is upset your son. Unlike all of you," she stood and looked at them, "I have actually raised a boy to adulthood, this? Magic? It is nothing but an excuse. You think him hateful of magic? Try the people who USE it."

"Henry?" Mary Margaret looked at the boy with a frown.

Henry shifted but let out a breath, "It's not magic I hate…it's what it's doing, what all of YOU are doing," he looked at them, "You all were heroes before it came back and I thought, after it was gone…maybe I'd have you all back. I don't want it to destroy my family."

Piper's lips pursed and looked them all in the eye, "How do you like your squabbling now?" she may have a vendetta against Regina, but she had sorted it, it was over, and she knew better than to try and argue and yell and try to bias Henry while he was in such a devastated state. She knew from raising August, when a child was upset, shouting and anger only made it worse and made them not listen.

Regina, however, was the first to act, "I can't get rid of magic, Henry," she began, taking a breath, seeing tears in his eyes, seeing how desperate he was, "But there is something I can do," she held up the spell of the Empty-Hearted and closed her fist around it, making it burn in a small fire in her hand.

Henry let out a breath, closing his eyes, "Thank you," he looked at his mother before putting the dynamite down and moving to hug her. Piper looked at the others over her shoulder, giving Emma a pointed look when she moved to try and tell Henry to step away, telling her with the look that Henry clearly wanted to hug his mother, let him, care more about what Henry wanted than what qualms she had with Regina.

A/N: I want to apologize that there was no chapter the last two days :( My dad is just...urg. He decided to wake up my siblings and I at 5am on Sunday because the middle of summer is apparently the best time to gather and stack wood for the winter :( We use a wood-burning stove in the winter to save on heating and our wood shed was empty so he wanted to fill it. It took us almost 10 hours of piling and stacking to fill it and afterwards I just was so exhausted and couldn't move :( And yesterday my whole body just hurt and I pretty much laid in bed trying not to move too much because of the pain -sigh- I managed to move a little more this morning and I just really wanted to at least get a chapter up :) I'm going to be trying to get back to my normal posting times though, since all I can really do is sit up right now, I'm going to try and use today to get ahead on editing :)

As for this chapter, we got a little heart to heart for Piper and Snow :)

And I just really wanted someone to say to Emma and Regina that they had to STOP, like all it does is hurt Henry their vendetta against each other and if they want to be true mothers, put HIM first. I've come to really like Regina, in the show, but at this point she was still a little disliked by me, but I did feel really bad for her how Emma was trying to make her the villain again. I mean...in the show...Emma's mother JUST led to Cora being killed BY Regina, manipulated Regina's desperate need for love from her mother, and Regina's devastated and all Emma can do is say that Regina is what's wrong with everything? :( I do understand what Regina was planning was terrible, but she's heartbroken and her mother just died, I doubt anyone would be in their right mind at that point.

Whenever Emma tries to threaten Regina or influence Henry against her or take him away from Regina, I DO feel bad. Evil Queen or not, she's his adoptive mother who took him in when Emma didn't want him and Emma, to me, has NO right to suddenly think she knows what's best for the son she only just began to get to know and that she should have the power to take him away from a woman who did love him for 10 years when Emma was nowhere to be found :( ...just my little two cents about it, stemming largely from the fact that I have cousins and friends who are adopted and the thought of how crushed my aunt and uncle (and any parent) would be if a birth parent just suddenly waltzed in and tried to take away their child makes me very upset :(

Some notes on reviews...

I have a Hook/OC planned who will be very sympathetic to Regina, but she won't appear till Season 2 (cos of Hook) :)

I can say that Piper's reaction to the mayor will be partially based on her reaction and experiences with other men who hurt her/disrespect her in the past, we'll see more of it when we find out how she got the scars on her thigh };)

I haven't read Divergent yet no :(

I don't think there'll be one decisive event that made Piper consider going to Rumple, more a series of events and thoughts that would lead her in that direction. She decides to actively seek him out after meeting Anton, but we still need to see when she's first introduced to the idea of him ;)

All I was thinking about in the Season 3 finale was Doctor Who's 'Father's Day' episode. A man alive who shouldn't be alive, saved by someone wanting to do good, and the world falls apart around that event and is only set right after the man in question dies :( I feel like that might be the same for Season 4 of OUAT, like...Final Destination sort of playing out in a way which will just hurt everyone :(


	34. The Strength of a Ruler

The Strength of a Ruler

Lessons were SO utterly boring that Rose Red wasn't entirely sure how she managed to remain awake for them. She supposed that there were some that were more interesting than others, history especially had interested her where it bored her cousin Snow White. She just always felt like there was so much that they could learn from the past, mistakes that were made by other rulers and other people could be avoided in the present if only people knew the outcomes of prior and similar events. Granted, often the times changed and cultures were different and sometimes what happened in the past wouldn't exactly serve as the best example of what to do in the present, but it was always good to be used as a warning of sorts. History was fine.

Music was another lesson that she enjoyed, but mostly because she already had a natural talent for it and years upon years of practice in it. She was 15 at the moment, still quite young, but very skilled at performing with a variety of instruments. Her instructors had largely given up on her, she mastered the instruments quickly enough, though it was due in large part to how fiercely she practiced with each instrument she was introduced to. She enjoyed music lessons, learning a new instrument and how to play it, how to tune it to her own siren-magic, it was wonderful.

This particular lesson was so, so, so, so, so boring!

And it wasn't even because the topic was dull, no 'War and Politics' was rather interesting as well, learning how to deal with other kingdoms and rulers, how to make laws and wage war and so many other things that went into running an kingdom. She had been wanting to learn this topic for ages now, wanting to be able to be sure that she could be the best ruler that her kingdom could have, wanting to know that she would be capable of ruling and that she'd be doing a good job of it, that she'd be following the examples of other established and prosperous kingdoms. Her parents had felt that she was too young to truly grasp the consequences of politics and war, that she wouldn't be able to understand everything fully and had compromised that she could begin her lessons when she was 15 and now she was. She had learned much from it so far but she wanted to learn more and it dragged on SO slowly!

And not because of the tutor she had, but because of the only other pupil he had in the class with her. Snow White sat beside her, frowning and biting her lip at the small board that was set up before them, a small bit of chalk in the tutor's hand as he drew out what appeared to be a battlefield of small Xs and other symbols, hills and trees and a stream and so on. The tutor was one of her father's eldest army instructors, a man who had studied politics as well as war for many, many decades and was one of her father's most trusted men to teach his daughter the art of war and the skill that politics required. She had been thrilled that she would be learning from someone who had actually experienced battle and war as well as negotiations and law enforcement, someone with actual knowledge instead of studying theory from a book like she knew some of Snow's tutors taught.

There was a glaring difference between her kingdom and Snow's, namely how their fathers ruled. Snow's father was very lenient, very forgiving, and more willing than most to make treaties and peaces and negotiate than to go to war. Her father complained about it at times, how one day his brother would be taken advantage of and HE would have to march his own army into battle to defend his brother. For being the eldest of the two, her uncle wasn't quite that responsible at times. It often exasperated her father how much like a child his brother could act at times, thinking the best of everyone when not all people were deserving of it. She had heard him and her mother speaking sometimes at night about how they feared that might be for Snow. Bother her parents were rather...good, not that it was a bad thing, but just the WAY they were good, too optimistic, too forgiving, never wanting to spill blood. They were all good things, but for a ruler they had to be moderated. They wanted to be good and not do harm and not darken their hearts, but sometimes it could mean not being the good that their people deserved, not protecting them like the people needed. Her father, thankfully, had a bit stronger of a stomach than his brother did, he claimed it came from years of trying to protect his older brother from his too black and white look at the world.

And now it seemed like their fears were being confirmed as Snow had been dragging out these lessons so much so that she had seen their tutor sneaking a drink or two in the kitchens after having to endure a debate and lecture with Snow. She argued, constantly, about nearly everything that the tutor brought up, declaring that it was wrong to execute someone no matter the reason, that war should be avoided at any cost, that no one was beyond redemption even if they had slaughtered infants or raped women. It…actually disturbed HER quite a bit just how narrow minded Snow's view of the world and what good and evil meant and she herself was getting frustrated because Snow never let it go, even after the lessons she would continue to rant about how the lessons were barbaric and terrible and the laws had to change and so on and so forth. It was taxing indeed because she knew that it would likely end up with her in the same boat as her father was, having to defend Snow when she made the mistake of trusting the wrong person or not wanting to execute someone who really did have to be put to death for the safety of her people.

Her father had an agreement with her uncle, the one concession that that man had made to his 'goodness,' that he would give everyone a trial and, any that were determined so guilty that they had to be put to death…he would send them to his brother and they'd be executed in THIS kingdom instead. They were rarer than she knew her father wished to see, because that often meant that the king had granted leniency or had managed to defend the criminal enough or guilt the jury into not giving that sort of sentence but more prison sentence. Neither Leopold nor Eva seemed to understand that sometimes a harsh punishment was needed for harsh crimes.

"Now, my ladies," the tutor smiled, stepping away from the board and gesturing to it, "Take a moment to examine this battlefield, look at the surroundings, at the number of troops and men you possess as opposed to your enemy. Notice their encampment and where it is situated, think of all I have told you about the warlord in question and his customs, his demands and personality. Try to guess what he would react to and tell me…what strategy would you utilize if faced with this situation?"

Rose tilted her head as she looked at the board. There was a forest on either side of the board, but too far away from the camp to be useful to have archers fire at it. To the right, there was a wide stream, perhaps a river, running vertical through the woods. At the bottom was the information for their own camp. The numbers, the horses and swords and soldiers, their supplies in general. Above, right at the top of the board was a large hill, with the enemy camp in the middle of the board, the details about that as well. She squinted, noticing that they had dogs there as well, which made sense, the tutor had mentioned that this warlord would use the dogs to guard the camp, able to hear things in the distance and attack when needed.

She frowned in concentration, glancing at Snow to see her just smiling at the board, her back straight, hands on her lap, as though she already worked out the answer. She nearly rolled her eyes, just able to guess what it would be, before she focused on the map, wanting to really work out the best way to attack.

"Right then," the tutor looked between them, "Princess Rose, would you care to begin?"

Rose bit her lip a moment before nodding, "Yes," she took a breath, "I would first send a small party of soldiers, some on horseback, to the river, sneak them into the forest and have them follow the river up," she started to point ahead of her, using her finger to guide her even though she wasn't touching the board.

"Why would you use the river?" the man asked, though there was a smile on his face like he was pleased she'd selected that method.

"The water and forest would help block the scent of the people and horse from the dogs," she answered, "The sound of the water would also keep the dogs from hearing them."

"And once they were up stream?"

"I would have them sneak behind the hill," she continued, "To climb up to the top and plan this all so it happens right at dawn, when the sun would be rising right in the eyes of the enemy while the soldiers crested the top," she pointed to a small note at the corner of the board where the tutor had marked that the hill was in the direction the sun rose.

"Excellent use of resources," the man nodded encouragingly, so many people underestimated the sun.

"The men would rush the camp and all those there would turn to block the attack, while they were distracted I would have my men at the main camp come up from behind and attack on both sides. The surprise of both attacks would give the largest advantage and allow for a quick battle."

"But…" Snow frowned, "Wouldn't that mean that the first group of men, the…the small group, they'd be slaughtered!" she gasped, realizing it.

"They would be a distraction," the tutor agreed solemnly, "Not one to be taken lightly, but in this case, what would be needed to claim a victory over the enemy."

"That's isn't right," Snow shook her head, "They shouldn't be treated like that and…and fed to the dogs just to get an advantage!"

The tutor sighed as though he were expecting such an outcry, "How would you handle this situation, Princess Snow?"

"I'd negotiate!" Snow stated adamantly, Rose actually rolling her eyes at that, that was exactly what she thought Snow would say, "I would refuse to engage in battle. I'd send an envoy to discuss the demands and reasonably negotiate with them."

"What if they refuse to?" the tutor countered.

"Everyone wants something, and I don't think they'd want to lose even a single man. No ruler should."

"But their culture is not the same as yours, Princess," the man reminded her, "This warlord," he tapped the board, "Is ruthless and he is a warrior first, their people are fighters, they would find it insulting to NOT be to battle."

"Well they would just have to experience a verbal war instead," Snow stuck up her nose at that, absolutely refusing to believe that there was not a peaceful way to deal with it.

"Snow," Rose sighed, "The warlord would sooner send your envoy's head back to you on a pike than launch a verbal war," she tried to get through to her cousin, "What if they just attacked your camp because they felt insulted you wanted to talk instead of engage them in battle?"

"They wouldn't do that," Snow defended, "They would see my attempts at peace as respectful and caring for my kingdom and we'd talk."

The tutor let out a long breath at that and turned to her, "Princess Snow," he called her attention back to himself, "The law calls for the theft of grain during times of famine to be punishable by imprisonment. What would you do if you caught a man trying to steal from the royal surplus."

"I would give him a bag of grain and request that he not steal again," Snow said instantly.

"Why?"

"Well…to be that desperate to break the law, the man must have a starving family to feed," Snow explained, her mind going right to the most noble of reasons to steal.

"What if he were stealing so that he could sell the grain for a thrice higher price?" the man countered.

"Well…then he'd be able to buy more grain instead of steal it," she tried to keep up her defense of giving the grain and not calling the guards.

"What if, you later learn, that the man has no family and was merely a thief come to steal from the kingdom?" the man kept on, "Or perhaps that, after you let him go, he was attacked by someone who wanted the grain he had and brutally beaten? Or even that he ventured out and would later murder a family? Or…"

"Why would you ask such horrible questions?" Snow frowned.

"I would call the guards and have him imprisoned," Rose cut in.

"Rose!"

"It is the LAW, Snow," Rose defended, "The law calls for imprisonment, then he ought to be imprisoned. It is not for us to choose which laws we follow or ignore, which ones we break."

"We're the rulers! We can change the laws whenever we want!"

"And then there will be anarchy! If you make laws and rules to follow but offer no punishment for them, there will be chaos, there will be NOTHING stopping people from breaking them if there is nothing that they suffer for it. If word got out that you let the man go, more people would come to steal the grain. Laws act as consequences for actions and there must ALWAYS be that."

"And what about your consequence?" Snow huffed, pointing at the board, "You would slaughter half your small platoon for the hope of a victory? You would end their lives just to try and win a battle?"

"I would do what I must to ensure that I am victorious and that that warlord does not come near my people Snow!" Rose started to shout, "I would do anything that had to be done to make sure my people are safe, just like my father does for yours. WE are the ones who will have to bear the weight of your consequences because you will NEVER be able to make the difficult choices a ruler must make, Snow!"

Snow looked at Rose with tears in her eyes at that, hearing more than just an argument over a lesson, but a criticism of her role as a Princess and her future as a Queen. So, with that, she got up and strode out of the room, leaving Rose and the tutor behind.

~8~

"Have you come to tell me I'll be a terrible mother too?" Snow asked as she sat at the edge of a fountain in the courtyard of Rose's castle, Rose approaching her and standing before her.

Rose sighed and crossed her arms, "I never said you would be a terrible ruler Snow," she began.

"No, you just said I don't have what it takes," Snow muttered a little bitterly.

Rose refrained from rolling her eyes, understanding what her father felt in being the younger of two but feeling like the elder, and moved to sit beside Snow, "I was thinking about what I said…my apologies if I hurt you Snow, but…I feel I cannot take it back for I do believe it."

"Great," Snow breathed, a sting of hurt in her voice.

Rose reached out and took her hand, "I mean it in…neither you, nor uncle Leopold or Aunt Eva, have it in you to order a man's death for breaking the law," she tried again, tried to explain how she felt, "And…I do feel that is something a ruler needs to be able to do. They MUST be able to follow the law, they must not make exceptions. Think on this…if you had a child, and you never ever taught him that…pinching girls, pinching anyone, was wrong and never reprimanded him for pinching others…do you not think he would grow up to think that pinching someone is ok?"

"I…suppose," Snow frowned, not sure where Rose was going with this.

"But it IS wrong to do that," Rose nodded, "And he hurts people when he pinches them, hurts them more the bigger and stronger he gets, bruises them even. He begins to hurt the people around him in doing this, even if it's on a small scale, he starts to hurt people because he was never taught not to do it. Now," she squeezed Snow's hand, "Imagine that he pinched a little girl, and she pinched him right back, and now, NOW he knows that it hurts to do it and he never pinches someone again. That would be a good lesson yes? That you should not harm someone, that if you do pinch someone, they will pinch you back."

"But pinching isn't execution," Snow stated, understanding the point that Rose was trying to make.

"It is the same principle Snow," Rose shook her head, "In ignoring your own rules, your own laws, you would be teaching your people that they can do whatever they want and get away with it. You would be teaching them that they could break into their neighbor's home and pillage them, that they could murder them, and that they could do other heinous acts and it would be perfectly fine because they will not be killed for it, or even harmed for it. I understand," she pulled Snow's hand into her lap, placing her other hand onto Snow's, "I understand that you do not want to see others harmed, but…Snow if we, as rulers, do not step up and punish the ones who do the harm, it will only be setting an example for others that it is perfectly fine to do the same. If you break a law for one, you must break it for all else they shall cry hypocrisy and favoritism..."

Rose trailed off a that and let go of Snow's hand, getting up once more, "I am as much a hypocrite, I am afraid," she gave Snow a small smile.

Snow frowned though, "You're not," she shook her head, "You always do what you say and what you mean Rose, you don't say one thing is wrong and then do it anyway or…"

"But I am," she sighed, "In a way, I very much am a hypocrite."

"How so?" Snow asked, not entirely sure how that was.

"I just yelled at you, Snow, for not wanting to make the difficult choices, for not wanting to make sacrifices that a ruler must make, for not wanting to follow the laws and execute people when the situation calls for it and…" she closed her eyes, "I realize that…despite saying all that, I…don't actually WANT you to do it."

Snow blinked, "You don't want me to make those decisions you just reprimanded me for not wanting to make in the first place?"

Yes, she supposed, that would be hypocrisy.

Rose let out a long breath, "When I first yelled at you," she murmured, "It was because I was worried for you."

"What is there to be worried about?" Snow frowned.

"I worry for the future Snow, there will be…hard times to come, we both know that. No matter what there will always be some enemy lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack and I just…what if that situation had been real?" she turned to Snow, "What if the warlord was real, what if you'd gone to meet him to negotiate and it was YOUR head he sent back on a pike?" she shook her head, "You are so good and pure Snow, so faithful and innocent and…I worry that, one day, someone will see that and they will manipulate you, that they will harm you because they know you will not retaliate like you should. If any harm came to you Snow, I would not just lose my cousin but my sister," she moved over to Snow and took her hand, kneeling down before her though.

"Nothing like that will happen Rose," Snow smiled at her, "Father will still be with me for many years more and, by then, I will have a husband to help me make wise decisions, and advisors, and…and war generals to tell me the grim realities of upcoming battles."

"I cannot help but worry though," she told her, "You refuse to entertain the notion of a decision like that in the classroom then what will become of you and your kingdom if you are faced with a real challenge of the like?" she shook her head, "Pacifism and peace and negotiating and treaties can only go so far Snow and I was overwhelmed with the fear that it would be your downfall. I fear that you will be too understanding one day, that you will hold out too much hope for someone and it will come back to haunt you and you will be hurt or killed for it. I was frustrated that you would not even consider using the methods the laws dictate and the punishments that have kept executions from happening more frequently than they do."

"But that's just it Rose," Snow smiled a little more, "It's the classroom. It's you and me and a tutor, it's not a war council where I would have advisors and other people to answer to. Here…I can make the decisions I want, I can believe what I want, it's just…lessons and practice. I'm not yet a queen and I'm not the one in command of all of that. I'm not facing down the threat of a war against my kingdom, it's…hard to make choices and decisions when it's not exactly real. I'm sure, in the future, that…it'll be different, I'll be forced to make them and it'll change, but till then…if I can avoid it, if I can avoid knowing that I'll have to order someone to be executed then…"

"That is my point as well Snow," Rose cut in gently, "I…deep in my heart, I do not want you to have to make a decision like that. I do not want you to have to take someone's life merely because the law calls for it. You are…your heart is too pure for that Snow and I know that to do something like that, to end another's life, it would darken your heart and it would make you miserable. You are my older cousin Snow, but I often feel so much more like I am meant to be your older sister instead. You are so…innocent Snow, so pure, that it makes me feel like I need to protect you. And it conflicts me because, in one way, I want to know you can be strong enough to make those decisions, that if the time comes, you shall make them and not be taken advantage of. But in another way, I do not want you to be the one to execute someone or punish someone. I want you to be able to live free of that burden and guilt."

"Seems like we're both caught and being pulled in different directions," Snow remarked.

"I need to stop it though," she decided, "Because I look at you Snow, and I see my cousin, my cousin that I would give anything to not have to experience an execution or be the one to issue it. But I know I should also see you as a ruler, as one who will be expected to do so. It is hard to let one image go, to trust that you shall be ok without my help and my pushing. But…I shall try."

Snow was silent at that, she understood, she really did, there were…many times in the past where she had been faced with a difficult decision and had failed to make the one that would matter. Her…her mother, for one, was the biggest example. Her mother had passed on less than a decade ago, when she was but 10 years old, and she had been given a choice, to save her mother's life in exchange for another's. She looked back on that choice she'd made, to not go through with it, and she wondered, to that very day, if she had made the right choice. Because of her and her 'pure heart' her mother had died and she found herself wondering every so often if 'darkening' her heart would have been worth it to have her mother still with her, to help her purify it again. She hadn't thought of it like that when she was 10, it wasn't till years later that she'd begun to think that, if she'd had her mother still with her, then her mother would have helped her find her goodness again and the darkness would have faded.

It was the same concept, in a way, when she thought of it from Rose's point of view, about the situations with the law and her role as a ruler, the one meant to uphold the law. She knew there would be times to come where it wouldn't be so much a decision of hers on what to do, the law was clear, but it would be a decision how she went about it. She knew her father bent the rules a little, finding good defenses for the men he felt were redeemable, that were not truly guilty but suffering their situations and conditions. He would try to make himself seem sympathetic and make those around understand why he was choosing to let someone live even when they clearly broke the laws and…she knew that he sent the prisoners that were truly a threat to his brother to be executed instead of doing it himself.

She…she didn't want that to happen to her and Rose, she didn't want to put that burden on her cousin to take up the slack she hadn't wanted. She didn't want to make it so that Rose would be the one executing people merely because she could handle doing so and SHE couldn't stomach it. She would have to grow up and she would have to realize that there were things she'd have to do as an adult that the child she still felt she was wouldn't be able to get away with. She wanted to be a strong ruler, one that didn't back down, one that would truly protect her people from every harm and danger.

She didn't want to be the one to create that danger in trying to forgive everyone.

"I think I should make a promise to you, Rose," she began, sliding off the wall of the fountain to kneel before her cousin, clasping both her hands in her own, "I promise that…I'll try to take the lessons more seriously and that…I won't change the laws in the future. I don't want to put my people at risk because I can't follow my own laws, the laws my ancestors have followed and that have made the kingdom as safe as it is. But…" she hesitated, "I may need your help, at times, not like…not like father does uncle, but just…support, someone to talk to me firmly and not fret about my feelings or my title. I trust you Rose, I trust that you'll be able to get through to me like others won't."

Rose smiled at that, both relieved that she hadn't harmed her cousin's feelings too much and that she still had faith in her, "And I promise that I shall do all I can to help you Snow, that I shall never let your heart grow dark," she gave Snow a meaningful look, knowing that it had been her greatest fear after her mother had passed, that without her her heart might darken with no one to care for it like her mother had, "I will always be there for you Snow and…IF there is ever a situation that is too difficult for you to handle, please DO seek me out and I will come to you and I will do all I can to help. Even if it means taking the burden from you."

She HAD to offer that last one. She had often wondered why her father allowed his brother to put the executions on HIS shoulders when they were not his people, technically. She could see irritation in him at times, a guilt, a burden, and she wondered not only why her father allowed it to happen but why her uncle never stopped letting it happen, why he never took responsibility. Now she knew, now she understood, it was because her father loved his brother just as much as she did Snow, and neither of them wanted to see the person they loved have to endure that. They were stronger than Leopold and Snow were in terms of stomach and how they dealt with the harsher realities of ruling. And she realized…her uncle was strong, in a way she hadn't realized till now, because HE had to make the decision to have someone executed, he DID have to make that choice…it was just his brother who saw it through. And her uncle, and Snow, they were both stronger in their faith and belief in people than she or her father were, they had an unshakable faith and that was something that she and her father lacked.

She wanted to know that Snow would be strong enough to make the decisions and that she would be resolute on them, but that didn't mean she had to let Snow see it through or deal with the aftermath.

And when Snow reached out and hugged her tightly, the barest hint of tears in her eyes, of relief and love and understanding, she knew she was making the right choice in allowing this to happen and in offering to help her cousin in that way.

They were both strong women and would be strong rulers, they were just strong in different ways.

A/N: Aww, little bit of bonding time for Snow and Rose :)

Some notes on reviews...

I agree, I think Regina always loved Henry, no matter how she appeared. I mean, we only really see how she acts around him after Emma's arrived in SB, so we don't know what she was really like without the threat of the bio-mother there :( But what did it for me was that when she first adopted him, she made herself forget that she KNEW he would be the reason the curse broke, she KNEW his mother was the Savior and she chose to keep him even knowing it would mean the end to the curse. And she made herself forget it so it wouldn't be hanging over her every single minute :') That means she loved him more than the curse and he was only a baby then :) I always wondered if Emma even tried to look into if Henry got adopted or not, like she was in the system for 18 years and yet she signed him away and I feel like she never looked back, so for all she knew, he was bouncing around foster home to foster home like she was :( That bothered me in S3 too, like when they worked out that Henry had to remember, Emma was dead set against it and it wasn't fair to the adoptive mother, especially after he remembered and she wanted to take him to NY when Regina was still _legally_ his mother, that was so wrong :( I felt bad for how Henry treated her too in S1 and most of S2, I felt like he took the 'I just found out I'm adopted' thing a little too far in how he reacted with such resentment, because in SB she _wasn't_ the Evil Queen and that was the point of the curse, none of them were who they were, he could call her that all he wants but in the Real World she technically wasn't the EQ :( No worries at all, you rant to your heart's content, I definitely understand ;) The part that bothered me lies with the writers, I heard that the actress who plays Regina had to fight them for the adoptive mother being equal to a 'real' mother and that made me dislike the writers just a tad that they could ever think that adoptive doesn't mean real :(

I'm not sure when the Hook/OC might come. Editing this story she keeps going 'Write me NOW! I NEED to BE there!' I might start writing her when Season 4 airs though, because I'm sure I'll be wanting someone to be there for Regina through that mess :(

I think Regina let her grief make her think she could face Rumple and live lol, he was the one who told her magic was fueled by anger and I'm sure she was plenty angry then :) Anton might get a bit teary eyed to see her again yup :)


	35. Selfless, Brave and True

Selfless, Brave and True

Mary Margaret stood in the middle of the woods, a bow in her hand, a quiver of arrows on her back, just shooting them aimlessly at a nearby tree. She was feeling better about everything dealing with her cousin since they'd had their talk. After they'd dealt with stopping Regina from cursing Henry, they'd gone back to Granny's instead, just her and Piper, to talk. They put everything out there, told each other everything that they had done from the moments Regina attacked them to Piper appearing in Storybrooke. It was...difficult to get through at times, both had experienced hardships that broke the other's heart to hear about. Both found regret in not being there for each other when they had needed the other most, but both had given forgiveness to the other as well. Because they were together now and that was all that mattered, that they could be reunited in this world, that they were relatively safe, and that they were stronger people now because of it.

That was one reason why she was in the woods though, it was...a lot to process. Piper hadn't been lying when she had said that, for the most part, SHE had had friends and allies surrounding her and keeping her safe, supporting her, whereas Piper had had next to no one till she had gone to Rumpelstiltskin for protection. It really was true, she hadn't been on her own for very long before she'd stumbled upon Red and Granny and from there she'd always had the two on her side, moving on to find the Dwarves and then the Fairies, and then Charming and so many other people that had been loyal to her and helped her, protected her, taught her the skills she needed to survive Regina's hunt for her. Piper had been left alone, had been taunted and hurt and abused while she had been safe indoors with friends to help her. The thought that her cousin had nearly been violated by one of James and George's guards, that James had stood there laughing about it till Piper defended herself, that she had been lashed for it...it made her sick and, for a moment, had almost wished that Gold hadn't just whipped Spencer 2,500 times in revenge but killed the man. For one brief second, she had almost wished that Gold had crushed Spencer's heart in front of her. But then it passed and all she was left with was the knowledge that if Spencer ever came near her cousin again, he would rue the day...and that she no longer felt as shocked and horrified by her cousin being responsible for James's death as she had been before, now that she knew the truth.

She had just...needed a moment's peace, away from town, away from everyone, so that she could truly process the hell that had been her cousin's life. She was actually grateful to Gold for all that he'd done for her in the Enchanted Forest and resolved to be kinder to the man, to...trust him more. He had done everything he had to get back to his son and she could understand that, doing everything possible to get back to Emma, she was sure even Emma could understand given how determined she'd been in the Forest to get back to Henry. She was also intent to find August, wherever the boy had run off to. They hadn't found a single sign of him in town and she knew that Piper was worried that he had crossed the border of the town and left. The entire world was a larger place to try and find 1 person than a small town like theirs. It was even more stressful for Piper and Marco/Gepetto as well, because despite the two loving August like a son, neither of them were blood related to him, so they couldn't use Gold's magic globe to track him down. She could tell that Piper missed the boy, she saw it in every interaction she had with Henry, in how reprimanding she was of Emma and Regina to focus on their child instead of their anger at each other. It was only all to clear that, no matter what was going on, August was always a thought in her mind and seeing Henry, seeing Neal even, just reminded her that she had a boy out there, a grown man but still her little boy, that needed help. She knew that, for how well Piper knew August, she didn't understand why he had run away, why he hadn't tried to find her or contact her, why he left.

It was all piling up and she just needed a moment to absorb it all, a moment of calm and distraction to focus on the present and what she could do to help everyone.

She stopped though when she heard a crack behind her, like someone had stepped on a twig before a creaking noise also joined the first one. She frowned and turned, looking over her shoulder before starting to walk in that direction, able to see an old, rundown trailer home parked in the forest, looking rather abandoned. She moved closer to it, to the door and could see that it had been opened recently. She reached out a cautious hand and touched it, opening it as it was unlocked and peered inside as she moved to enter, "Is anyone here?" she called.

It was silent for a moment, when the creaking noise sounded again to her left and she turned, "Just me," a familiar voice said as August, entirely wooden in appearance, stepped out of the shadows.

"August?" Mary Margaret stared at him, "But...I don't understand, the curse broke!"

August sighed and moved to sit on a small couch to the side of the trailer, "Not for me. When it lifted, I could move again," he lifted up one of his arms, "But I stayed like this. This is my own punishment, not the Queen's. I did this to myself."

"August, I'm so sorry," Mary Margaret moved to sit beside him, "But you don't have to hide. There are people in Storybrooke who care about you Emma, Rose, your father..."

"How are they?" August swallowed, looking at her and she almost swore she could see sorrow in his painted eyes, "Mama and papa?"

Mary Margaret smiled softly at that, how he still called Piper his 'mama' even though he'd first been forced to call her his sister, "They miss you," she told him.

"I know," he looked down, "But I can't let them see me like this or Emma. Especially not mama..."

"Why not?" Mary Margaret frowned, "August, Rose thinks that you're upset with her or...or that you wanted to get away from her or..."

"What, no!" August cried, "I just...I can't let her see me turned to wood."

"She saw you turning to wood though," Mary Margaret shook her head.

"I know, I know but..." he took a deep breath, "I don't want her to see that it stuck. Mama she..." he hesitated, "She wasn't like papa when I was growing up. She...I don't want her to think that this is her fault, that she wasn't a good enough mother that this is happening to me."

Mary Margaret nodded slowly at that, understanding. The Piper she saw before her...the one who claimed she was a villain, she couldn't see her reprimanding August for some of the things that a parent normally would. August didn't want Piper to think that it was her fault, that, because of the way she raised him, he was turning into wood because she didn't do a good enough job keeping him on the 'heroic' path like the Blue Fairy and Gepetto wished for him.

She reached out and took his hand, "Please reconsider. Rose won't care one way or the other how wooden you are," she reminded him, "She just wants to know you're ok," but August was silent, "They could all use you back," she tried another tactic, "There's been a lot going on. Henry's father returned. Emma found him."

"Wait," August looked at her, "Emma and Neal? They're back together again?"

"Right, you knew Neal," Mary Margaret murmured, recalling Piper telling her something about that, "Rose wants to talk to you about that too you know," she gave him a look she was hoping was similar to what a chastising mother would do, but August just looked at her for an answer so she let out a breath, "No, they're not together again. Actually, he's engaged to someone he met in New York."

"I was hoping..." August sighed, "That's my problem hoping. Hoping that things can still work out. Hoping that I can find redemption for the mistakes that I made. But maybe some things you just don't come back from."

Mary Margaret was quiet a moment, "What would Rose say? About this? About making mistakes?"

He gave a small, sad smile, "That no matter what I do, she would always love me. That the mistakes we make are things to learn from. And, as long as I regret nothing, then it's not a mistake."

"Do you? Regret anything?"

"Not as much as I should," he admitted quietly, "But I do regret somethings. It's funny, how you don't regret something till the consequences come into play."

"Well I agree with my cousin, August," Mary Margaret told him, "No matter what you've done, you deserve a second chance."

"That's easy for you to say," he looked at her, "You never had to worry about forgiveness, redemption. You've never needed it."

"But Rose has," she countered, "I'm sure there are people...people she's wronged," she had to get that out, "And I've forgive her for all of it. August," she turned to him, putting her other hand on his arm, "When you love someone, you forgive them. Rose and your father both love you very much and they will give you the redemption you need. You just have to...to come back to town with me. We'll find them and..."

"No," he shook his head, "I can't face them like this, like a wood pile of failure."

"Don't say that..."

But August was done, "You wanna help me? Leave. And don't tell anyone you saw me."

Mary Margaret could only watch as he got up and stormed to the back of the trailer, slamming a door to the bedroom closed and leaving her alone, with little choice but to get back to town. But she knew, she wasn't going to give up on this, on him, she was going to come back, and she wasn't going to be alone.

~8~

Piper sat in Granny's Diner, Marco/Gepetto beside her. She had found herself meeting the man for lunch some days, telling him more stories of August growing up, hearing his updates about the search for the man. She had a small cup of hot chocolate before her, not really feeling up to eating with her one hand where everyone could see her struggling to do it. She didn't like to appear weak before anyone save those who had seen her at her weakest already, like her cousin, August, and Gold and that was all she would allow. She knew Regina was in the diner as well and that was one person she did NOT want to see her in any sort of weakened state. Regina, she, Mary Margaret, and Emma had called an unspoken, tentative truce of sorts. They ignored Regina and she ignored them, unless it involved Henry or a threat to Henry, and then...they were to be as civil as they possibly could with Henry around...which largely meant quite a bit of silence on all parts and tense, awkward conversation.

Emma had come to join her at the bar of the diner a few moments ago, having gotten a call from Mary Margaret to meet there but also, upon seeing her with Marco, wanting to give her an update to bring back to Gold about some...news, involving Neal's fiance, Tamara. Apparently the woman had followed him to Storybrooke, or been invited to Storybrooke, and Piper found herself questioning just how Gold could possibly be the boy's father if he hadn't thought through all the implications that could have. To her, until Baelfire was married to the woman and the girl was stuck with him for life...he should NOT tell her a thing about the Fairytale characters they all were. Not a thing. And even then, being married, in the real world, was hardly like it was in the Enchanted Forest. Marriage there usually could only be broken by death...such as in the case of Regina and Leopold, but in the real world, divorce was more likely and if he told Tamara about them, about magic and all it could do, and then she divorced him? It could have dire consequences. She had been used enough in her life because of the unique magic she held, she would not see the woman use Gold that way, which she feared some might do. She had always been frightened that someone would try to use her relationship with Gold to manipulate him, now she had to worry about someone trying to use his relationship with his son to manipulate him.

But Tamara's appearance in Storybrooke was only the tip of the iceberg it appeared, not only had Tamara arrived...Hook was on the loose again. She knew she should have dealt with him in New York instead of leaving it to Emma. Apparently Tamara had gone to the storage locker Emma had chained him in to get her items, and some items of Neal's, and Hook wasn't there.

They both looked over when the bell above the door jingled and Mary Margaret nearly ran inside, Regina having left only a moment before Mary Margaret got there, after talking to Greg Mendel as he sat in a booth eating a pie, "Hey," Emma turned to her, "What's up? Why the urgent phone call?"

"It's August," Mary Margaret panted, relieved that Emma had managed to get Piper there as well as she'd asked in the message, "I found him."

"You did!?" Piper's eyes widened as she stood off her stool, relief flooding her.

"My boy?" Marco gasped, "He's alive?"

"Yes," Mary Margaret nodded, though her expression fell, "But he's completely wooden."

"Still?" Piper frowned at that, "But the curse was broken."

"I know," Mary Margaret sighed, "It just...didn't break on him. He's been living in an abandoned trailer down near the toll bridge."

"What can we do?" Emma looked at Piper, knowing that she might have more knowledge of magic than the rest of them, given her relationship to Gold and possessing magic herself, "Can we help him?"

"I cannot be certain," Piper shook her head, "It was fairy magic that made him real once before, I have no knowledge of that sort of magic."

"But I know someone who does," Mary Margaret cut in, "Mother Superior."

"Urg, Blue?" Piper nearly grimaced, she truly disliked that rather shady fairy.

"She helped once!" Marco, however, cheered at that, "She can help again. She must!"

And, before they could utter a word about it, Marco had run out the door, Emma and Mary Margaret following, leaving Piper little choice but to go with them, truly not looking forward to this. She doubted Blue would help them, even for Snow White and Gepetto, because SHE was August's mother and...

SHE was responsible for this transformation.

~8~

August huffed as he made his way to the door of the trailer as someone knocked on it, fully expecting it to be Mary Margaret come back (and half fearing it would be his mother), "I told you to leave me alone!" he cried, throwing the door open, only to stop and stare at the familiar person standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey," Tamara, Neal's fiance, grinned at him, "Long time."

August stared at her, not sure how she was there, how she was standing in front of him. She looked exactly as she had when he'd run into her in China what felt like years ago. She was still tall, thin, with darker skin and straight black hair, a narrow face and only slightly slanted eyes, a smirk on her face. But...how was this possible?!

He had been in China a long time ago, he and his mother separating sometimes to cover more ground in their search for Storybrooke, other times taking a small break. He could admit he took more breaks than he should have, but he'd been in China when, at 8:15 one morning (which he now knew was 8:15 at night in Storybrooke) his leg began to throb in a terrible pain. He later worked out that it had been the exact moment that Emma had decided to stay in Storybrooke, the exact same moment that, he was sure, the frozen curse in the Enchanted Forest had begun to break as well. Oh he heard rumors about what had happened to his mother and her cousin and Emma, how they'd been sucked into a portal. He oddly hadn't been worried for her, his mother was strong, it was everyone else he worried for, they had yet to see her get angry about something. But he got near town, he listened in, heard about their return, about the refugee camp, how it was fully formed and self sustaining which would have been impossible to do in the mere hours after the curse had truly broken there.

But he was getting ahead of himself. He'd been in China and woken to see his leg turning to wood but the thing was...no one could see it but him, because no one but him believed and knew magic was real. He'd tried to go to the hospital, tried to convince the doctors there that it was really wood by...um, stabbing himself in the wooden leg with a knife...which admittedly hadn't been the best plan as he'd ended up running from orderlies who thought he was insane and needed to be tied up before he harmed himself. A man had helped him escape, had been able to see the wood, and had told him of a man, the Dragon, a man of magic that could help him. He'd immediately gone to seek the man out and, while waiting...saw a woman enter the Dragon's den and then leave shortly after...

The woman standing before him right now.

He'd gone to see the Dragon, someone he was suspicious was Mushu from the legend of Mulan, had been told that he could help him, for the price of something important to him, a necklace made of string that his father used to help make him, and ten thousand dollars. He hadn't thought he could get the money in time, but then he'd run into the woman, Tamara, as she was having a drink. She claimed that she had cancer, had gone to the Dragon for a cure, had traded a picture of her and her grandmother and her own money to get it. She was cured, she'd said, before she got up to leave for the ladies room...and he'd spotted money in her bag. He'd grabbed it and fled to the Dragon, traded it for the cure but been caught as a thief by others and chased away. He'd lost the potion the Dragon had given him, it had shattered on the ground as he fell, the pain in his leg worse. He'd gone back to the Dragon the next day, wanting to make a deal, do something, beg, plead, grovel, anything for another potion...only to find the man lying dead in the middle of his den...and he'd realized, there was nothing he could do to stop turning into wood now.

He had just wanted to stop it, to take care of it himself, he hadn't wanted Piper to know about it, he'd wanted to return to her whole and determined to help her find Storybrooke...but he'd returned with a limp and she'd seen his leg and...just held him as he cried. Because he knew that he wasn't just turning into wood in the sense that he'd be a living puppet again, but he could feel it, the entirety of the magic was reverting, he would be just solid wood, a man trapped in the body of a puppet but one that would need strings to move this time. And he had been scared.

"Not much of a decorator," the woman continued, pushing her way into his trailer, "Then again, I guess a man made of wood doesn't require much."

He let out a breath at that, "You can see me? You believe?"

"Do you think I would have chased down someone called The Dragon if I didn't?" she gave him a look.

He shook his head, the main question coming back to him, "I don't understand. What are you doing in Storybrooke?"

HOW was she there?! She couldn't have known about it. He had been all over the place, she hadn't followed him. He would have seen her around town when he arrived, why would she wait? Why would she appear now? WHY was she there?

"What I'm doing in Storybrooke doesn't concern you," her expression grew serious, "But I need you to do something. And after what you pulled in Hong Kong, you owe me," she crossed her arms.

He would have winced at the reminder of how he'd stolen so much of her money, but the wood prevented it, "What could I ever do for you?"

"Leave," she dropped her arms, "It's a simple request considering what I'm about to offer you."

But he shook his head, "No. You're going to explain this. Did you follow me? Are you like me? Magical?"

"No. I'm quite human. But forget for a second why I'm here and who I am and instead ask yourself the more important question how? My cancer was a death sentence, remember? Yet here I am."

"The Dragon," he breathed.

"The liquid in the bottle it worked," she told him, her voice dropping, a note of enticement in it, "It cured me, August. And it can cure you, too. I still have some of it left. The bottle's in my apartment in New York. You can go get it. All I ask is that you leave Storybrooke now and never return."

New York...NEAL had been in New York, "Neal. You're the fiancé," he sighed and shook his head, "Are you and Neal here for the magic? Are you two trying to take the magic from Storybrooke?"

He knew all too well how much Baelfire hated magic, how much Neal wanted no part of it. It would make sense if he was working with this woman to try and remove it...but she had gone to the Dragon first, she had USED magic. So why?

"Neal has nothing to do with any of this," she shook her head, making him frown at that, if she wasn't there for Neal...why was she there? "Ok? He knows as much as you do. Actually, now you know a lot more. So do we have a deal?"

August stared at her a long while, growing more uncomfortable with her presence as it went on. This was...too much of a coincidence. That he would run into her in Hong Kong, and then she would end up with Neal in New York, and then finally come to Storybrooke. His mother had always said never ever believe in coincidences, they were never what they appeared to be. It was always something more, yes, some things happened for a reason, but the coincidences that were just too...convenient were usually plotted out for some reason or another, they were worked towards. And Tamara being here...it was too convenient and too much of a coincidence for him to believe. Something else was going on...

And his MOTHER was there, his father was in Storybrooke, his...his family.

"I can't leave without knowing what you're doing here," he stated firmly.

But Tamara just smirked, "Sure, you can. And you will. You're the same man I left in a Hong Kong gutter, a man willing to do anything to save himself," she tried to morph her smirk into a smile, "And that's what I'm offering, August," she reached into her pocket and pulled out keys, keys he could see were for a car and apartment, "Salvation."

August just stared at them, his conscience warring within him...he knew what his father would say, to stay and fight and keep people safe and warn them about Tamara's prior knowledge of magic, but he also knew what his mother would say, to protect himself and to get well again to be alive to fight another day. He was Pinocchio, he was a notorious liar, he could promise to leave and never return...

But he'd be real by then and his nose wouldn't be growing if he happened upon Storybrooke once more...

~8~

Needless to say...the Blue Fairy had NOT been helpful. Apparently she had known all along that August had reverted to wood. He had come to see her soon after the curse broke to ask for help to turn back into a real man once more and she had refused. Or, as Blue liked to claim, she wanted to...but couldn't. Blue stated that it was because she had told Pinocchio as a boy to be brave, truthful, and unselfish if he wished to stay a real boy and, because he had been cowardly, dishonest, and selfish, he had done it to himself. She couldn't reverse what happened because of that. Piper had not been happy with that and called the woman a...rather creative name that Mary Margaret was tempted to cover even Emma's ears for, and Marco had had to grab her good arm to keep her from lunging at the woman. It hadn't helped that Blue had merely stuck up her nose and made a bitter remark that, with guidance such as the Pied Piper's it was no surprise that the boy had turned into what he had been. Emma had been rather shocked (and slightly proud) when Mary Margaret had then slapped Blue for what she'd said about her cousin, able to hear her 'mother' quietly remind the fairy as Marco led a rather stunned Piper off, that SHE had not been quite so honest with them either when she told them that the wardrobe only carried one.

Blue had looked rather startled that they knew about that particular lie, but Mary Margaret had already shaken her head and turned to rush off after her cousin, leaving Blue to give Emma only one consolation, that there MIGHT be a chance at redemption for August, but he would have to find it on his own.

"This is all my fault," Marco sighed as he, Mary Margaret, Emma, and Piper trekked through the woods, needing to get to August's trailer, not about to let him think he was alone or that he should be ashamed, not at all.

"Our children make their own decisions, Marco," Mary Margaret tried to comfort him, "You can't blame yourself for anything that's happened."

"Blame me if you must," Piper murmured, "I was the one who raised him in this world, and the man I raised him to be was what started to turn him to wood."

Mary Margaret looked over at her cousin, a sadness in her eyes, able to see now why August hadn't wanted her to know. He had been spot on in what he knew she'd react like. Blue's words hadn't exactly helped her either, merely reminded her that SHE had been his mother and SHE had been the one to instill the morals that he grew into as an adult. 28 years she had had with August compared to the few that Marco had had with his son and in those 28 years, August had grown into a man that was decent by the real world's standards, but not as pure of heart as the enchantment that brought him to life would require.

"I can only blame myself," Marco shook his head, stopping to turn to them, looking at Mary Margaret more, "And you should blame me too. The wardrobe I built for you. The one that transported Emma to this world she did not go alone. I made the Blue Fairy tell you that it was only magical enough to send one through...but it had enough magic to transport two, and it did your daughter and my son Pinocchio. I sent him to this world, what he grew into here is because I was not with him, because I sentenced him to this life," he looked from Piper to Mary Margaret, tears in his eyes, "There is no apology I could give that could ever make up for what I did. But I am so sorry..."

"Marco," Mary Margaret stepped forward and hugged him, seemingly surprising the man as his eyes widened a moment before he hugged her back, "We've known for a while that the wardrobe could have taken two."

"What?" he breathed, pulling away.

"I DID raise August," Piper reminded him, "He told me how he came to be in this world. And I told Snow."

"I...was angry, at first," Mary Margaret admitted, "At you, at Blue, for lying. But...I've had time to come to terms with it. I know well the desperation a parent feels to protect their child and I would have done the exact same. If...if you hadn't done what you did, Rose," she smiled at her cousin, "Would not have had the chance to be the mother she was," she tried to smile wider, to get Piper to smile as well, not wanting her to think of the type of mother she'd been in terms of what had happened to August, but the fact that she got to experience motherhood like that. But her smile fell when Piper looked away so she turned back to Marco, "I forgive you, Gepetto. You were protecting your son."

"No," Marco shook his head, "I burdened him with a weight no child should have to bear, and I called it love."

"He did not bear that weight alone," Piper spoke up, "We all failed in protecting Emma," she let out a breath, Emma shifting at that, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that there were more people than just her mother or father who had wanted to protect her, who loved her and cared for her, "And I failed to protect August," she looked past Marco, spotting the white trailer down a small hill, "But we can both protect him now," she looked at the man.

He glanced over his shoulder at it and back to Piper, nodding, as the four of them turned to continue on, down the small incline and to the trailer...

Only to find it was empty, August had left.

~8~

August burst into the sheriff's station, needing to find Emma, needing to find someone that he could warn, that could do something about Tamara. He'd been in her truck, racing towards the town line, fully intent to leave, get the potion, get better, and return to help them, knowing that if he drove nonstop and was able to take the potion quickly, he could make it back in only a few days and surely nothing too bad could happen in such a short time...and then he'd found it.

There was a picture in the car, of Tamara with her grandmother, a small pocket picture that would fit in a wallet, exactly like the one that Tamara had described as being the one she had given up to the Dragon. He knew it was the very same one. The point of relinquishing an item close to you was that it was one of a kind, that you only had one of it and no replacement...and there the picture was. And it all clicked into place. He had gone back to the Dragon...so why couldn't Tamara have? How else would she get her picture back if not that she had seen him? He had gone back a few days later, and now he knew that Tamara had too. Who else would have killed the man and left?

It HAD to be Tamara!

The second he realized that, realized that she had killed a man that had supposedly cured her 'cancer' (though he was doubting that as well), he knew that everyone in Storybrooke was in danger, Emma, Henry, his father, his mother, everyone. He could NOT let that go, he could not run and save himself. His mother was...tricky, she fully believed in protecting yourself, in living to fight another day and doing what you had to to survive...but she was also very, VERY firm that family should always come first, family was all you had when you lost everything. Family would be there to care for you when the fight to survive knocked you down. If there was one thing you never abandoned no matter what, no matter what it meant for you, it was family. And he was NOT going to let Tamara hurt them!

He'd done a U-turn and raced back to town, but there was no one there at the station to report Tamara to, so he ran to the phone. He immediately dialed Emma. As much as he wanted to call his mother, he knew that her association with Gold would make her less likely to be believed about any warnings to the town, even with her relation to Snow White, but Emma, being the sheriff and daughter of the fairytale royals would be the one that others would believe and take seriously.

"Emma Swan," Emma answered after a ring or two.

He let out a breath of relief, "Emma, it's August."

"August?!"

"Listen to me," he cut in, able to hear Piper and his father in the background, "Have to warn you..."

"August?" Emma tried to speak, but he could hear static on the other end, "Warn me? Warn me about what? Hello..."

He lowered the phone as the line cut off, the static interfering and looked back to see just why...Tamara was behind him and had pulled the phone cord from the wall, "You disappoint me, August," she tsked.

He glanced down, seeing what looked like a taser in her hand, but remained strong, "I know what you did to the Dragon," he told her, a harsh note in his voice, "A few days after you left, I went back to beg him to fix me, and we both know what I found. At the time, I was too wrapped up in myself to wonder what had happened, to question who could have done such a thing. But then I found this photo in your car," he pulled the photo of her and her grandmother from his pocket, holding it up to her, "And it hit me. You and your grandmother you went back there. _You_ killed him."

"You should have left," her grip on the taser tightened, "I counted on you to wanna save yourself."

"Maybe that's what I'm trying to do," he said, but she scoffed at that, "I've lived a life of selfishness, cowardice, and dishonesty."

And he knew, no matter what his mother would think, that was NOT her fault. She was the most selfless person he knew, choosing to protect those around her, protect Snow White in staying away from her, protect Rumpelstiltskin from being manipulated, protect HIM from being abandoned on the streets and thought mad for believing fairytales were real. She was brave too, to face down all she had and push on, to be knocked down and beaten down and still get back up, to not back down from people that he knew were a danger to her. And she was honest, she was bluntly honest for the most part. She deceived yes, but she hadn't, as far as he could recall, outright lied to him, no, she was always brutally honest with him, and he knew she was the same with a majority of people, especially Henry, not wanting the boy to be in the dark and ignorant. HE was the one who had never taken those qualities for himself and now, now he was an adult and it wasn't her responsibility to save him any longer, it was his own.

"And only I can cure that, not magic, not science. Just me. I care about the people in this town. My father is here, my mother," he almost smirked at how startled Tamara looked at that knowledge, and he was infinitely glad that he had never ever brought his mother up to anyone outside of Storybrooke, not even to Neal, just like he hadn't brought up Neal to her, "And if you wanted the Dragon's little bit of magic, well, you have hit the mother lode here, and you are not going to harm anyone to get it. I'm going to warn them."

"No," Tamara strode towards him, her teeth bared, "You're not!" and thrust the taser right at his wooden neck.

He hadn't expected the electricity to be able to affect him like it was, he was made of WOOD, it shouldn't conduct...but it was. He wasn't sure if that meant that, inside he was still a human man...of if Tamara had some sort of magical electricity in the taser. If she'd been able to kill the Dragon similarly...then he wouldn't put it past her. But he was hoping it was the first option, because the second cared him senseless for what it could mean for his mother or Emma, both having magic.

He let out a pained scream as Tamara shoved him back, pressing the taser firmer on him, till he stumbled towards her as she dropped her arm, allowing him to struggle towards the door, a smirk on her face as if she knew that the damage had already been done and he would barely make it a few steps more before collapsing and drawing his last breath...

~8~

The August group was heading for the sheriff's station, David and Henry joining them, as Emma relayed the message that August had given her before the call cut out to them all.

"If August is still at the station, he's not picking up," David shook his head, his cell phone out, trying to call up the building.

The reason why August was not picking up became all too obvious when, a second later, the wooden man stumbled out of the main doors, gasping and grunting in pain as he fell to the ground.

"Key!" Piper gasped, rushing over to him.

"August!" Emma was right after her, the two women making it to August's side only a few moments before the elderly Marco could, the man moving to Piper's side, with Emma across from them.

"Oh!" Marco breathed, "My child. My boy. My boy."

"Key," Piper took his hand and held it, "Key look at me..."

August turned his head towards her, seemingly dazed and sluggish, but smiled when he saw her, "Mama..."

"What happened Key?"

"My boy please," Marco pleaded when August started blinking, trying to focus, "Tell us son..."

"I'm so sorry, papa," August just looked at him, Marco resting a hand on August's chest.

"No," Marco shook his head, "There is nothing to apologize for."

"Everything will be well Key," Piper promised, "Please...can you say what happened?"

"Emma," August winced and turned his head to her, his mind clearing but his breath laboring.

"August," Emma took his other hand.

"Emma she's..." August gasped, "She..." he panted a moment, before he let out a soft breath...and ceased to move.

"Oh Key," Piper breathed, Mary Margaret stepping up behind her to place a hand on Piper's shoulder, knowing this was devastating her.

"Oh, no," Marco's voice broke, "Not again," he began to sob, leaning over to weep on his son's chest.

"August?!" a voice called and they looked up to see Neal rushing over, staring at the wooden man in shock. He knew that the man had been turning into wood, he'd been shown it after August returned from China, seen his leg, but this...this wasn't what he was expecting when he saw the man again.

"This was not meant to happen," Piper breathed, staring at her son, unable to even close his eyes as they were painted on. All she could think was that parents ought not outlive their children, this...this was wrong, this was so wrong...

"What happened?" Neal asked.

"Someone killed him to stop him from telling us something," Emma swallowed hard as Henry moved to stand beside her as she stood, "He used his last dying breath to warn us. I will not let that be in vain," she swore to Piper and Marco.

"Brave, truthful, and unselfish," Henry murmured under his breath, making Piper look at him, always more keen in her hearing than others. He caught her eye and spoke more loudly, "Brave, truthful, and unselfish. Don't you see what this means?" he looked at them all, "That's what Pinocchio was supposed to be. There's still hope. We need the Blue Fairy!"

"I'm here, Henry," Blue called rushing over.

Piper couldn't help but glare at her suspiciously, how was it that she just randomly appeared when people 'needed' her, she hadn't flown there, so she had to have been on her way to them already. But why? Ooh she hated fairies.

"What does Henry mean?" Emma looked at Blue.

"I was able to turn Pinocchio into a real boy after he sacrificed his life for Marco's," she explained, "If his actions today were indeed brave, truthful, and unselfish, then you're right," she smiled at Henry, "There's a chance I can do it again."

"Please," Marco looked up at the woman with tears in his eyes, "I beg of you. Try," he whispered.

Piper swallowed hard and stood, helping Marco up so that the fairy would have access to August and Blue stepped up, pulling out her wand and gently waving it over August's body. There was a flash of white light...

And August...no, Pinocchio, looking not a day older than when he'd escaped the curse, was lying there, in his Enchanted Forest attire, his little red hat on his head, a real boy, flesh and blood.

The boy blinked a moment and looked up at Marco, Piper stiffening at his gaze, when he smiled, "Father?"

"Pinocchio!" he dropped to his knees and pulled the boy into a tight hug.

"I'm a real boy!" Pinocchio cheered, "I'm a real boy!"

And in that moment...Piper's heart broke. His words, his gaze, his cheer...she knew what it meant and she couldn't stop the tears filling her eyes as she looked at the young boy being embraced by his father, but she could keep them falling as she took a few shaky steps back, Mary Margaret's attention immediately flying to her, her eyes widening as she saw the devastated look on Piper's face, an expression she knew her cousin would not be wearing so openly if what was before her was not truly a shock to her.

"Honey," Neal murmured behind her, and Piper could hear some sort of song, could guess it was Tamara that had approached, that had seen what had happened but...she just...she didn't care...not right now, not at this moment. She didn't care what Tamara saw or what she believed now...she was just...numb, numb was better than hurt though she knew that when the shock wore off the tears would be unable to be restrained, already she could feel them starting to try and escape.

"Do better this time, Pinocchio," Blue smiled at the boy, casting a glance at Piper and the woman honestly wasn't sure if the small smile on Blue's face was meant to be as malicious as she was seeing it as.

"Pinocchio?" Emma stepped forward, "I have to ask you a question. I need you to think real hard, ok? Before you turned into a little boy, you were trying to tell us something very important. Do you remember? You were trying to warn us about something."

Pinocchio frowned, concentrating, trying to think, but shook his head, "I...I don't remember. If I did, I would be truthful. I promise."

"Ok," Emma nodded, straightening.

"Oh my boy," Marco smiled down at him, wrapping an arm around him, before he looked up at Piper, "My dear, would you join us for a family dinner, in celebration?'

But Piper's gaze stayed on Pinocchio a moment, knowing from just a glance in Pinocchio's eyes that what she feared was real, "No," she whispered, before looking at Marco, "Family dinner...is for family."

"And you are," Marco smiled, "You are my boy's..."

"Pinocchio," Piper cut in, her voice cracking, surprising them all as they finally looked at her and finally saw the tears she was just barely holding in, saw how tightly she was clutching her free hand to her sling, her hands shaking and her knuckles white, "Do you know who I am?"

The boy tilted his head and frowned...before he shook his head no, "No," he answered as well, before smiling politely, "But it's nice to meet you."

Mary Margaret's eyes widened even more at that as her mouth dropped open in a horrified gasp, her eyes locked on Piper.

Piper, however, just closed her eyes, she knew it...she knew it from the moment she saw the state he was in when he'd become real. His outfit, his size, his age...it was like he was that boy he'd been when he first became real, BEFORE he'd met her. The way he'd looked at her...he'd looked right past her and straight towards his father, like he didn't even recognize her. That look in his eyes when she held his gaze for a moment just proved it...he had no idea who she was, because this Pinocchio...it was like he'd been reset to his first transformation to a real boy. His shouts that he was real, it was too excited to be a second time becoming so. He would have said 'I'm real again!' if he had recalled he wasn't always wood, if he knew he'd spent 28 years as a real boy.

It wasn't that he didn't remember what he was trying to tell Emma...it was that he didn't remember anything as a 'real boy' the last time.

It seemed the Blue Fairy had truly given him a new chance to be better 'this time' because now...now he would only have his papa to raise him, and not the woman who had ruined him.

"It is nice to meet you too," Piper managed to get out, strained though it was. She took a breath, knowing that any moment Mary Margaret would try to hug her, and looked at Marco, "Gepetto..." she began and she could see the tears in his eyes as he realized exactly what had happened as well, "Be a better parent than I was..." she pleaded softly, "That is...all I ask."

Marco's eyes grew wide for a moment before he gave her a deep head bow, understanding what she was saying. She didn't want to be a parent that raised him this time. She wanted HIM to be the only parent his boy had. He knew she blamed herself for him turning to wood, and he knew, by how he knew Snow White, that she would not easily be convinced she was not to blame. He knew that she felt herself inadequate, that she was the cause of his fall to the lesser ways of life and that it was all her fault. He knew this was her way of saying that she felt he would be able to raise the boy into a better man than she had...all he could muster though, was a nod, because his son was looking up at him in confusion as to why everyone was so upset and he knew...this was also her way of telling him not to tell the boy about his other life with her.

This was a fresh start for them...and an ending for her.

"Rose..." Mary Margaret breathed.

Piper just looked at her, "Will you come with me to Rummy's?" she asked Mary Margaret, not letting her get a word in besides that.

Mary Margaret let out a breath, understanding her hidden request. This was, quite possibly, the first time she had needed genuine comfort and reassurance from family. She knew that Piper sought comfort in Gold, had done so since before the curse was cast but this time...this time she wanted HER there with her.

"Of course," Mary Margaret stepped to her side, linking her arm with Piper's good one and leading the woman off, knowing that she would star to cry soon and that was not something her cousin would ever want others to see, "I'm so sorry Rose," she murmured as they got far enough away from the group. She could not imagine her child not remembering who she was. True, Emma hadn't known, but that was because she and David hadn't been there, but to raise a child, to have all those memories with him...and have it taken away.

She wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy.

"Every action has a consequence Snow," Piper said quietly, "I did not raise him properly...he nearly died for it. This...this is...his second chance," she swallowed hard, her voice breaking, trying so hard to focus on the fact that, at least the boy was with his father and would be loved and that Gepetto would get to raise the boy like she had, but it wasn't working, "This is his best chance."

And it hurt, it hurt so badly that his best chance...wasn't with her.

A/N: I'm sorry there was no chapter yesterday :( I think it was the most busy day of my entire life lol. But I'm nearly back to updating at my normal times so that's one good thing ;)

Not much Dark Rose here, but I really wanted to focus on August and just how much an impact Piper made on his life :') It broke my heart to write that last part, I think I cried a little writing it, where Pinocchio forgets everything about his adult life. I took his 'I don't remember' and his appearance and his exclaims that he was a 'real boy' and how he didn't say 'I'm real again!' to mean that he reverted back to the mentality he was when he was first wood and became real :( Which meant...he forgot all about Piper :( We'll see more of a reaction from her when she's calmed down too ;) I can say there's more Piper experiences at the end of this episode than I wrote, but we'll have to wait to the next oneto see what it is, this was too heartbreaking an ending line for me to give up :')

I think it also speaks to how well August really knew her, that he KNEW she would blame herself for him turning to wood, that SHE didn't raise him well enough to not fall into the less than favorable characteristics like selfishness and lying :( He knew she would see it as a failure on her part and she did. But I also think it shows just how much of a mother she really has become, because she had to turn down raising him with Gepetto to give him his best chance of being raised 'right' and not falling back into the pain of turning to wood :'( It broke my heart to write that, but that's one thing about Piper, she accepts the consequences of her actions and keeps going, she knows she didn't do the best job of raising August, the consequence being he turned to wood, and she would do right by him always in trying to give him a better life :')

Some notes on reviews...

Oh I was NOT a fan of Regina for the longest time lol, but even then, I feel the term rape with Graham is a little extreme. I say that only because I've heard some things thrown around that it's because Regina had his heart and so his free will. That always bothered me because, from what I saw in the show, to control someone like that, the person had to be holding the heart in their hand and giving commands. And even if it could be done from a distance, I feel like that would require magic...which Regina didn't have in S1. We saw that Graham did have the capacity to say no and the choice to walk away (I believe Regina killed him because he was starting to remember not because he said no). My personal belief is that Graham was with her because of the Dark Curse, because his memories were of having an affair with the mayor. And if that's the case...then a claim could be made that David 'raped' Kathryn, or that any person who was sleeping with someone not their spouse was being/committing rape and that's a bit much :( As for in the EF while she was the Queen, (and please, do correct me if I'm wrong), I honestly can't remember if there was a clear line that Regina had relations like _that_ with the Huntsman. We do get one line to 'take him to my bedchambers' and that he would be her pet(? I think), but without more confirmation, an argument _could_ be made that Regina appointed him as the guard outside her bedchambers who would protect her because she had his heart and only she knew where it was, and that she might refer to others whose hearts she had as a 'pet' too. Just a possibility :) I don't think she would have actually killed Belle though, to Regina, she'd be more useful alive than dead to get to Gold with and use as leverage. Kathryn, I'm not sure why, but I got the impression that it was Rumple that had a bigger hand in her abduction/captivation, Regina didn't strike me as the sort to ever get her hands directly dirty but use others. I think she and Snow were sort of tit for tat in how they lashed out and hurt each other at times, if we look at personal blows :/ But the Archie/Henry sessions, I think (not sure) that it was implied in the flashback where he first gets the book, that Regina had sent him to Archie because he found out he was adopted and wasn't talking to Regina about it, that she wanted to give him someone to confide in and THEN he got the book and it all went downhill from there :( You don't always go to a therapist because you're crazy, sometimes you just need someone to talk to :) (Like...I've asked my parents on more than one occasion to please help me find a suitable one so I had someone non-related to me to openly talk to and their response was 'stop making a big deal of things, there's nothing wrong with you.' I knew there's nothing 'wrong' with me, but having even 1 person to openly talk to can be a therapist ;)) I fully agree that she did some very terrible things and I think it's a good move that she is trying to make up for them, I will admit I do place some blame on Rumple, he and Cora made Regina what she was and, if not for them, the EQ wouldn't have existed to cause all that harm in the first place :( The memories thing always bothered me with Emma, I feel like, with such little time, the only memories Regina could give/make were her own to Emma, and just tweak Henry's so that he would see Emma instead of her. And if Henry could love Emma like he did and be a well adjusted young man, I don't think his childhood with Regina was all that bad, but that's just my personal head canon :) I sort of feel like, if that was the case, it almost explains Emma's actions/personality in that half of Season 3, she did act a little Regina-ish and if she had Regina's memories of raising Henry, and then her fear of the 'other mother' taking her son away, she'd have a taste of what Regina went through. I saw a lot of parallels between that season Emma and Season 1 Regina :)

That's what always made me curious about not just the heroes but everyone who's a non-villain. Like...they seem to brush off a lot of the crimes some villains did, but when it comes to Regina they're all too ready to point the finger at her. On one hand, I feel like that's more believable, that they won't just forgive and forget, that they'll always be wary. But on the other hand, it's like other people did kind of worse than her and no one thinks they might be responsible as much as Regina is :/ I'm torn with their reactions, it's believable in some cases, but at other times it's like 'how much does one person have to do before they start to look elsewhere for a scapegoat?' :)

It was revealed just after Piper returned back to SB what Gold did :) He gave George 50 lashes for each lash he gave Piper and made sure that it healed enough to scar, deform, and cripple him :(


	36. Moments in Time

Moments in Time

Nightmares were the absolute worst.

Pinocchio was a sufferer of nightmares, she knew that now. She wasn't sure much about the boy before he'd left from the Enchanted Forest, what he was like. Oh she knew the story, how a boy made of wood had given his life to save his father and been turned into a real boy via fairy magic. She knew of Gepetto as well, she knew that he had built the wardrobe that had allowed Emma to escape into this world. She still wasn't sure how Pinocchio had gotten here. As far as she was aware, the rumor that the wardrobe could only hold one was well known. She knew that Snow had planned to enter the wardrobe the moment it was complete, to go to this land with her baby, with Emma, and have her here, to raise her to be the 'Savior' that the curse called for and to bring her to wherever the others were when the time was right.

But that had all fallen apart when Snow had gone into labor before the wardrobe was complete. That had left only Emma with a chance to go through the wardrobe and be lost here somewhere. She still didn't understand where though. She still didn't understand how Pinocchio was there, how he had appeared in this world with Emma, as he'd mentioned only a short while ago, yet he was the second person when the wardrobe was meant for just one. She had asked him about it, but the boy remained silent, not wanting to say, all he could do was repeat that he'd promised not to tell.

Bur now was not the time to think of that because he'd woken her with such frantic screaming that she'd feared someone had come to murder him in his sleep. So she'd run from her room to his, just across the small hall from hers, and into the bedroom to see him, thrashing on his bed, crying.

"Pinocchio," she murmured, kneeling beside him and reaching out to gently wake him, "Pinocchio wake up, it is alright, you are safe…"

Pinocchio woke with a gasp, looked up at her for a single moment, before he launched himself into her arms. For that one moment she was afraid that he would look at her and, like he had when he'd learned she was the Pied Piper, cower back from her, but instead he'd just thrown himself at her and was hugging her for dear life, crying into her neck and shaking.

"Shhh," she soothed, rubbing his back just a mite stiffly.

She…wasn't around children much, oh she spent plenty of time in the markets, entertaining them in the Enchanted Forest. The small village that Rumpelstiltskin would have her gather straw from had been a bit wary of her at first, first as she was the Dark One's new caretaker…and then again when they learned she was the Piper. But she had proven herself good with the children, though she rarely used her magic around them. She would play a song here or there to entertain them, to make the birds sing along or to make the dogs dance. She knew that many of the people there, the parents, were wary around her when she'd start to hum or pull her pipe so she refrained from doing so unless Rumpelstiltskin was with her, because one sharp look from him would stop any protest from the parents. They had…grown to accept her after a time, grown to accept that she had no interest in doing deals with them or stealing their children away. She interacted with those children, but nothing like this.

"Dear boy, it is ok," she murmured, patting his back, "It was merely a nightmare."

Pinocchio sniffled, "It was bad."

"Would you care to tell me about it?" she inquired, "Sometimes it helps to speak of them."

She knew that all too well. She…she had started to have her nightmares again, of the burning room, the room that was a result of the sleeping curse. She hadn't dreamt of the room when she was in Rumpelstiltskin's arms, but now that she was on her own…she was always there. She'd hoped that, because this was a land without magic, that she'd be freed from that room, but she was wrong, it was still there just…the flames didn't burn her now. She still felt the heat, felt the flames licking her skin, felt like she was being burned, but she didn't wake up with physical burns any longer.

Pinocchio nodded after a moment, "Papa…he was mad at me."

"What for?" she frowned, Gepetto was a very mild mannered and docile man from what she'd heard.

"I broke my promise to him," he curled a hand on the t-shirt she wore over her pajama pants.

"To watch out for Emma?" she guessed, thinking of what he'd said when she'd found him and he'd woken in her bed after he'd collapsed.

He nodded, "It wasn't just him though. The Princess was mad too."

"Emma?"

He shook his head, "Snow White."

"Why would Snow be upset?"

"Cos she found out papa's secret."

"What secret?"

He bit his lip, hesitating to tell her, "The wardrobe papa was building…it was supposed to take 2, not 1. But papa made the Blue Fairy promise not to tell the princess so that I could go through."

Piper nodded along at that, understanding now how he came to be in this world and reaffirming her dislike of the Blue Fairy. For a source of good, that little sparkling gnat lied an awful lot, "And your Snow White was mad that she could not go with Emma?" she wagered.

Pinocchio nodded, "She was mad at me too, cos I didn't stay with her and I didn't protect her like I promised to. She was really mad and yelling and crying and shouting and…" he started to sniffle again, "And she wanted to punish me like the bad step mothers."

"Snow White will never yell at you Pinocchio," Piper promised, "I can promise you that. No one will ever harm you. Least of all Snow White, you leave her to me if she even tries. She would not harm me and she would have to get through me to get to you."

Pinocchio frowned at that and peeked up at her, "Why wouldn't she hurt you?"

"Well…" Piper took a breath, debating whether she should answer, whether she should tell him. There…really wasn't a reason not to. She and Pinocchio were the only ones, besides Emma and Baelfire, to escape the curse so there should be no reason to keep it from him, "Snow White…is my cousin."

Pinocchio's eyes widened, "Really?!"

She nodded, "Really."

"But…" he frowned, his face scrunching in confusion and concentration, as though he were trying to recall something, "That makes you…Rose Red!"

"I supposed it does," she smiled.

"You're a princess!" he pointed at her, almost as though it were accusing her of lying to him.

"I am," she agreed, "And…if…if we go through with the adoption," she began gently, having broached the topic with him just the other night and given him time to think of it, it would give her more of a way to protect him and care for him if she adopted him, "You would be a prince then."

"Really!?" he stared at her, repeating himself.

She gave a small laugh, "Really."

"And…you would be my mother?"

"Yes, I would," she nodded, "And Snow White would be your…auntie. So she would never ever hurt you."

"But…what about papa?" he shook his head, "Mamas and papas are supposed to be together."

She let out a breath, "In this world there are many forms of families," was all she could say about it, "I will keep my promise to you Pinocchio, if you wish to leave me, I will let you go, and if you wish to stay you may as well. If…when we find the others, you wish to return to your papa…I will let you go. I DO return the children remember?"

He nodded slowly at that, "What if…what if I want both of you?" he hesitated to ask. It had only been a short while with Piper but…she was a good person and he did like her a little. She took care of him very well and did protect him, even from the nightmares.

"Then you can have both of us," she told him, "In this world there are some mothers and fathers who are not together and they share their children so that they get both parents even if the parents are separated."

Pinocchio thought long and hard about that, "Ok," he looked at her, "We…we can do it."

"The adoption?" she wanted to be clear, not sure if he just meant the sharing part.

"Yeah," he took a breath, "I always wanted a mother and…I want someone till we find papa."

She smiled and nodded, "Then we shall see about the adoption tomorrow," she promised, "For now, you need sleep."

He sighed but got off her lap and began to snuggle back into his bed, "Will you stay?" he asked her quietly, "Till…till I fall asleep?"

"Of course," she moved to crouch on the floor beside his bed, reaching out to hold his hand as she sat there, waiting for him to drift off, softly humming an old lullaby under her breath as she watched him slowly fall asleep with a little smile on both their faces.

~8~

Were first dates supposed to last this long?

Piper couldn't help but wonder that as she paced the length of the small apartment she and Pinocchio, or Key, as she had come to call him, had rented for their time in this place. She realized rather quickly that the education system in this world was rather wonderful and that she wanted that little boy she'd found so long ago to be able to get the most of it. He understood why though, after every year, they moved to a different state, why they took vacations to other countries during holidays, to try and spread out, to find their families. Every year they moved, every year he was in another school, but he was there long enough to finish the year out. He was ok with it, he got to see new places, meet new people and she could spend the time he was in school searching for signs of Emma or Baelfire or where the others were.

He really was a sweet boy, so understanding, well…he wasn't so much a boy any longer as a young man. Just turned 17 and was going on his first…date. First date ever actually. He'd never really seemed interested in other girls and she had once teased him that, if he were interested in other boys she would not bat an eyelash at it, till he'd started to stutter that he liked girls he just…wasn't currently interested in dating.

This girl though, she was…nice. She really couldn't give a firmer word than that, she'd only met the girl just before the two of them headed out for the night. It was simple, he'd told her, just dinner, maybe a pizza, and a movie. He was obsessed with the movies of this world, how they told a story with moving pictures, how you got to actually SEE a storyline developing instead of having to read every description of it. He loved writing as well, most of his creative writing assignments were marked highly even though she knew that they were more memories of his own life in the Enchanted Forest and the tales of others. His teachers appreciated his unique spin on the classic tales, which made both of them smirk and share a secret laugh about it. The girl he was trying to date seemed to appreciate it, was fond of his stories as well, felt it meant he had an open mind.

The girl was polite to her, when she'd met her, about a head shorter than Pinocchio, with brown hair, brown eyes, a bit of a button nose, wore an appropriate green dress that went to her knees and some flats, and seemed nice enough. But she knew better than anyone that looks were most certainly deceiving and she was just very concerned. She didn't want him to get his heart broken by someone, especially when she doubted they'd take the truth of who he was very well or even believe him and that was a large part of who he was. He WAS Pinocchio, that would never change, and to not be able to share that with someone…to share that whole part of you was disheartening. She'd tried to ask him to wait till they found the others, but she knew it would be unfair of him to do that. In the worst case scenario, like Rumpelstiltskin had implied, and it took 28 years to see it broken and to return to the others, she couldn't ask her son to be alone like that for nearly 3 decades, it wasn't fair.

But she was still worried, this was his first date, the first girl he was interested in seeing and she was nervous and worried and scared and so many other things she honestly wasn't sure where they were coming from.

She looked over when she heard the door open and shut, so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even realized that he'd arrived home at barely 10:30 when the curfew she'd set was 11 for his first date. She frowned, seeing his own frown, and walked over to him. She had only just opened her mouth to ask what was wrong when he stepped towards her and just hugged her, startling her.

"I take it the first date notion was overrated?" she started.

He let out a long breath, "Would it be childish to say I was hoping for True Love on the first go?" he mumbled, "With someone not from the Enchanted Forest?"

"Childish by this world's standards perhaps," she rubbed his back a moment before pulling away and touching his face, "But by our standard's…not at all. We all want True Love, Key, it is…" she smiled softly, "One of the most thrilling of emotions and the strongest of loves."

"You've felt it?" he asked. There was always a small niggle in his head that his mother had experienced True Love and, he knew, it hurt her to recall that her true love was likely hidden away and affected by a curse and wouldn't even remember her when he saw her next, if he saw her again. He tried not to bring it up. She'd start to talk about it at times, and then just stop and he always feared it was because it was hard for her to discuss.

"I have," she took a breath, "Come," and took his hand to lead him over to a small couch, "My true love, Key…was never someone I imagined I would find. Not just because I was unsure I would find true love but also that the man I loved could experience it himself."

"But he could," he frowned, "He DID love you, right?"

If the man didn't, he'd punch him!

"Many would be surprised to find the Dark One did."

…ok, perhaps he wouldn't punch him but rather flee.

His eyes widened as he looked at her, "The…the Dark One?" he repeated, "Rumpelstiltskin was your true love?!"

She nodded, "He IS my True Love, yes."

"But…but he's…"

"Choose your words carefully, Key, and remember who your mother is."

He let out a very long breath at that, she did have a point. He couldn't call the man a monster without recalling some things SHE had done herself. He couldn't say that the man's black heart couldn't feel love without recalling her own hardened heart. He couldn't even say that those with darkness in them couldn't feel love without reminding himself that she was part Siren and part dark herself and she loved him as her son, she really did.

"How…did you know?"

"Well, he succeeded in bottling our true love," she began, "He also broke a sleeping curse on me. But mostly it was the care he showed me, the trust he put in me," her gaze flickered to her boots, the boots she always wore no matter what, knowing that his dagger was resting in one and not even Pinocchio knew it, "The small things he did for me," she tilted her head, "True Love, Key, it comes about in different ways," she smiled, "My cousin struck her Charming prince with a rock the first time she met him and look where they ended up, married and happy for a time. Sometimes it happens instantly, love at first sight, but other times it is harder to realize that what we feel is the first stirrings of love. There are times we deny it, times we push another away because of what it could mean…"

"Why would anyone push their true love away?" he frowned.

"It is…hard, dangerous even, to open your heart like that," she tried to phrase it, "It means putting your heart in someone else's hands. It means exposing yourself to them in a way where you have to trust that they will not use what they know of you to harm you. It can be incredibly difficult to open up, for some people, and give another the power to harm you as well as build you up. The stronger and higher they build you, the farther and harder you can fall from it should they hurt you."

"Has…has the Dark One ever hurt you?" he asked quietly.

"Never," Piper told him, squeezing the hand she was still holding, "He always cared for me and protected me. Has done…so much to help me. I…" she took a breath, "I know he would never ever harm me, that he would protect my heart to his dying breath."

"How can you be sure though? I…I don't want you to get hurt mama…"

"Because he did hold my heart once," she told him, "I gave it to him, literally, I put it in his hands to do with as he wished, I gave it to him for a reason, to see something," she smiled, "He kissed it and gave it back to me. I knew then, I knew that he did love me, more than any other might have guessed. He had the power over me in that moment, he could have killed me, harmed me, made me do anything, he could have used truly dark magic, but he chose not to. He chose to keep it safe and see it returned to me. He chose me over darkness and power," she looked at him, "But ours was a…unique situation, Key. True Love, in general, it merely means there is someone that you fight for, someone you think of constantly, someone you would do anything for. It means loving them so much that you only want what is best for them and that you accept them, fully, as they are, every piece of them."

He let out a breath, "Shannon isn't my true love," he muttered, "The girl, that…that I had a date with. I…I thought…but she's not. She's nothing like what you said mama. I wanted to go see one of the Fairytale movies," she nodded, having expected that, he loved reading the different versions of the fairytales, seeing them play out in movie adaptations, "She was actually angry I didn't want to see some sort of action flick or monster movie," he shook his head, "She called me a pansy for liking the Disney versions and said I was just an immature little boy that had to grow up."

"Well…I do agree with growing up," she gave him a soft smile, "No one wants to be Peter Pan."

He shivered at that, knowing the tales of the man both from her and from rumors in their land, "No," he agreed.

"But what you are, Key, what you enjoy, what you love…your true love will accept. All that you are and have to offer will be more than enough for them and," she reached out to brush some of his semi-shaggy hair out of his eyes, "When you meet her, she will truly be a lucky woman, to hold your heart and to have you hold hers. Sometimes it takes patience, but it is always worth the wait. YOU are worth the wait."

He smiled at her and leaned in, hugging her tightly, "Thank you mama," he whispered, giving her an extra squeeze as she returned the hug and smile as well…

And wondered if she might be able to use her music to make a girl's hair fall out…

~8~

28 years.

It had been 28 years since she had appeared in this world. She knew, Rumpelstiltskin had told her, that it would take this long for the curse to break, for Emma to start to break it. She hadn't thought that it would mean that it would take 28 years before she or Pinocchio would even be able to find the town that the others had been hidden away in. She and Pinocchio had searched and searched and searched, all over the world, all over the planet, for 28 years, trying to find one single town. They had searched around the area where Pinocchio had remembered appearing in this world, had been down every road for miles and miles until they started to fear that, perhaps, they had appeared on the other side of the country from where the others were, or perhaps the other side of the world. They'd tried their hardest to find their families again, had made a family of their own in the process, with her as the mother and Pinocchio as her son. They had tried to find Emma, had even tried to keep an eye out for Baelfire, but there was nothing, no sign at all of them, of any of them.

It had broken her heart terribly, to think that her cousin was under Regina's thumb for 28 years, that her happy ending had been taken from her. She had no idea what Regina could be doing to her, but she had to believe that Snow would be alright. Because Rumpelstiltskin had promised her, had sworn to her, that he would take care of her family when the curse happened. It was the only reason she had agreed to help him with it, to allow him to enact it, he had promised her that, in the end, her family would be well and happy and safe, that they'd be reunited again, that they both would get their families again…it would just take patience. So she tried, she tried so hard to be patient, to wait the 28 years but she still hoped that she'd be able to find her true love and her cousin.

She should have been able to, in the last moments before the curse struck, Rumpelstiltskin had helped unite them both in a way that would always allow the other to know if they were in danger or harmed, to lead them to each other, similar to the enchantment that he'd put on Charmin's ring to lead him to Snow, it was a way to find each other. But it appeared, in a land without magic, that that wasn't the case. She had tried to find him, but he was gone and she hoped beyond hope that his failsafes in the curse would still allow him to remember her. If she found him and he had no idea who she was…

She didn't even want to think of that.

She could handle her cousin not knowing her, it would hurt but she hadn't seen Snow in so many years, not up close, she hadn't spoken to her since she'd escaped the Evil Queen. She could bear it if her cousin looked through her for a short time but if her Rummy did the same…it would break her. And then she was quite sure she'd do something foolish, like try to kill Regina, and then they'd be in quite the pickle. So she tried to calm down, tried to think of something else as she sat in a small café in Florida, looking down at a small map she had open before her. It was only one of many. She and Pinocchio both had a series of maps of their own and one large collection that she kept that they crossed off different areas that they had searched and found no sign of the others in. Her gaze travelled up the coast of America and towards Maine.

Pinocchio had come to see her a short while ago, only a few days really, with a terrible limp and she had seen it…his leg was turning to wood. And while it was terrible, she knew what it meant, the curse was starting to weaken, Emma had found her family. He had insisted he go back to where he'd found Emma, that he could try and search the area once more. They had both suspected that there was more at play with the places they went, that it was hidden by magic and therefore would be pointless to even search for where the others were. But they did try. And, more often than not, their travels had slowly become about finding Emma and Baelfire on the way. But he was insistent that, if the curse was breaking, then maybe the magic that hid the others from them would too. He wanted to try and find them just once more, hoping he'd be able to find something about them before he turned entirely into wood.

She'd let him go first, that, if it was there, she'd come join him and right now she was just waiting to hear from her son.

She smiled as her phone rang, speak of the devil, and answered it, "Key?"

"Mama…" she could hear the smile in his voice, "I found them!"

She let out a long breath at that, feeling herself smiling as well, before she closed her eyes a moment, just…taking that news in, "Where are you?"

"Storybrooke, Maine," he said, "Not on any maps, but if you go to the next town over, I'll text you the name cos hell if I can pronounce it, I can pick you up and take you here."

"It is really there?" she spoke quietly, "All of them?"

"Yeah," he laughed, "Papa's here too, and Snow, but she goes by Mary Margaret now, and Emma's here…she has a son mama. Henry."

"Henry?" she frowned at that.

"He's um…Regina's adoptive son," he added.

She nodded solemnly at that, that complicated things, "And Rummy?"

"He's here too," he reassured her, "I…I can't tell if he remembers or not though, I'm sorry. The curse gave them all new lives and names and histories. I'll try and see, but…I'd rather you be here with me incase he does remember."

"I understand," she told him, getting up and leaving her money on the table as she gathered her things, starting to head out, "What cover name are you using this time?" it always took her a few days to get used to not calling him 'Key' so the sooner that he told her, the better.

"August Wayne Booth."

She paused at that, "Might I ask why?" he always had a reason behind every name he used.

Legally, he was Keith Lynn, which explained why she called him Key and, of course, he had to take her last name, but everywhere he went, he used a new name. He'd actually asked her once, why his last name had to be Lynn when it couldn't be something cooler, why did she choose that name and she'd just laughed that she hadn't. Rumpelstiltskin had, the irony wasn't lost on her either for her name. Hannah Piper Lynn. And, as she preferred to be called Piper, that could be seen as Piper Hannah Lynn, which could, in some ways, sound like Piper of Hamelin, the title she had best been known for in the Enchanted Forest.

"You found me in August," he spoke, pulling her from her thoughts, making him smile, "Your house, the first house we stayed in, was on Wayne Road. And…we were sitting in a booth at that restaurant the first time you introduced me as your son. Seemed fitting to use that when we're back home."

Piper was silent at that, feeling tears in her eyes at that, that he'd pick such a meaningful name, "Sounds brilliant," she told him, "But I am keeping my name."

"That's fine, could just be my pen name," he joked.

"I shall see you soon Key," she told him, "I will call when I am closer to Maine yes?"

"Sure," he laughed, "See you then!"

She smiled as she hung up, only a block away from the small room she'd rented, and walking faster so she could pack and head to Maine. She missed her true love, yes…but she missed her son as well.

A/N: My sister is an evil genius. An evil, evil genius who I am currently afraid might be a female incarnation of the Master now :( ...and she's very, very bitter. She's taking an accounting course and she wanted me to look over her homework, despite me telling her that, even though I have a Bachelor's/Master's in the subject, I hate it, I loathe it, I retained NOTHING of it (except 'for every debit there is a credit') and warning her that I might be wrong in checking some of her mistakes. For the most part it seemed like she did everything right, so I gave it back to her...and then she got about half of it wrong and blamed me for not catching her mistakes. She firmly believed I did it on purpose so she got onto my computer (and every single computer in our house) and went to the security settings and made the log-in page for fanfiction restricted/blocked :( I spent the last 2 days thinking that the site was glitching, but wondering why other pages were opening until she finally told me before she went to work today because, apparently, she forgot she'd done it to me and that she was mad at me (she may possibly be getting a new boyfriend so she's a little less witchy-with-a-b right now :( I'm so mad! I couldn't log in at all for the last 2 days! :( I finally went in and unblocked the site so I'm so sorry there weren't chapters the last 2 days :( Grrr... :(

As for this chapter, aww :') I really just wanted to do one last homage to August, to show some of their key moments in the past :') Sort of a farewell to August :'(

Quick note though, to anyone who's read my Doctor Who 'Lunar Cycle' Series, I do a sort of tumblr takeover day where the OC has control of my tumblr and you can talk to her/ask questions and the OC responds. Tomorrow (July 15th) is the Takeover Day for Evy Daniels if anyone is interested. So in about...7 hours from posting this ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Piper will have a hard time, especially if she sees August/Pinocchio around town, but Snow and Rummy will definitely be there for her :) And that's awesome, I hope you have a good vacation! :)

Oh Piper and Gold will so trust the Blue Fairy even less than they already did }:) I can say that I have a small theory for Blue and, if I'm wrong or if my theory isn't even mentioned/resolved in the show before it officially ends, we might just get an original sequel story/season for this series ;) And no worries, I'm like the only one in my family that doesn't curse so I hear a lot of it ;)

We'll see a bit of Rumple comforting Piper at the start of the next chapter ;)

It will harden her heart a little yup, the loss of her son :( It won't harden it as much as if Pinocchio had consciously chosen to forget her, but it will harden her a little :'(

True, Regina does come off as selfish when it comes to Henry. I sort of feel like it stems from never having had anyone who loved her stay with her and not wanting to lose him, especially to Emma. I mean...her son ran off to find his 'real' mother and with the curse broken it wouldn't be just Emma trying to keep Henry from her but the entire town who might (to her) try turning her son completely against her, I think she went about 'protecting' him and herself the very wrong way :( Perhaps if she'd remembered that she knew who Henry was (that the curse would break because of him) she would have been less focused on keeping the curse going :( I never quite got the feeling that Rumple was truly and deeply remorseful though, but that's just my opinion, I mean, in the brink of death he was a little, but I think Regina was a tiny bit more in how randomly through the seasons she would try and be civil and helpful and apologetic. I say that for Rumple only because he proposes...and then murders someone in revenge and doesn't tell his wife about it or his dagger switch :/ I do think he made unselfish sacrifices though, like with Pan and helping Henry :') I think that's my trouble with trying to fully accept Regina, we really don't know who she really is deep inside. As equally as evil tried to manipulate her life, so did good :( I think the darkness, in itself, is a sort of control, like he said about Regina, once the darkness has a taste of you it won't let you go, which _could_ be argued that it's as possessing and consuming as something like the Dark One's power. I'm not arguing that, just playing Devil's advocate ;) I think it's a double edged sword too for Rumple, without his curse he wouldn't have lost his son so he wouldn't have done anything that made the others what they were (without him Cora wouldn't have learned magic, nor Regina likely been born, nor Hook end up hunting him down)...and Bae would likely have died in the Ogre Wars :( I think I'd like Rumple's redemption more if it was more a choice of his than Belle constantly guilting/threatening to leave him that makes him act good, but that's just my interpretation of the Rumbelle relationship :) I have some issues with Hook as well, I do think it was good of him to try and back off when Neal was back, but some comments he makes and the way he talks to Emma, at times, makes my skin crawl at the innuendo and, in _very_ extreme moments, makes me feel like we really see how broken Emma is by the relationships she's had in the past that she accepts Hook and his love for her almost like that's what she's used to, the less than honorable men who aren't real 'heroes' or possibly even good for her. But that's the very extreme moments, overall I like that he supports her (though I was very deeply annoyed that he used Pan's curse being stopped and defeating Zelena as _Emma's_ achievements when it was Regina's to try and cheer her up in the finale :( ) but I think Emma can make her own decisions and if a relationship goes well or ends badly it's on her and she can learn from it :)

Not quite kill...just soulfully maim lol ;)


	37. Lacey

Lacey

Piper stood at the edge of the park, watching as Henry and Neal played swords with small wooden ones, a small smile on her face, Gold beside her, her arm in its sling still. They were on their way to the hospital, to have her arm checked out and see if she could possibly remove the sling and try and get some movement back into her arm but they'd passed the park and just…had to stand there a moment and look on.

The last couple days had not been easy at all, especially for her and what happened to August.

Mary Margaret had walked with her to Gold's shop, with her able to keep her tears in until she saw the man standing at the counter. It had only taken him one single look, one quick glance up to see who had entered, to know that something was wrong and that she was hurting. He was at her side in an instant, her in his arms, secure the moment she started to openly cry, something she would not have allowed anyone but him and her cousin to see. Mary Margaret had been beside her as well, her hand rubbing her back, tears in her own eyes at the suffering her cousin was enduring.

Gold hadn't asked a single question about what happened, knowing it would be useless given that she was crying about it. All he knew was something had hurt her deeply for her to cry like that, to see that comfort in his arms. So he kept his questions quiet, also knowing that he would not ask her about it either, he would not reopen those wounds. So many people had tried to ask him about Baelfire, had tried to get him to talk about it before he was ready and all it did was hurt him and pull the wound open again. When HE was ready to talk about it, he did and only when he was ready, Piper never forced him to talk, never asked, left things open for him to pick up if he wished to speak, but never tricked him into it so he could extend the same courtesy to her as well.

He had magically transported the three of them back to his home, telling Mary Margaret that he was going to help her lie down a moment and to make herself comfortable before he guided her to their bedroom…which left Mary Margaret both flushing in embarrassment and nearly cringing as she recalled all those candles that her cousin had bought during Minor's Day and why she'd bought them. But Gold had returned shortly after, after she had managed to lie down and roll over, sniffling but needing a moment to cry alone as well. He'd given her space with the promise to return quickly and gone to see Mary Margaret making hot chocolate for them. He had asked HER what happened and learned the horrible truth of what happened with August, how he'd turned entirely to wood and nearly died, how the Blue Fairy had saved him but turning him into a real boy again…but a real boy at the same point as when he'd first become real, with no memories at all of Piper or his time in this world, just a little boy.

He'd asked Mary Margaret to leave for the moment and turned to return to Piper, knowing better than most what it meant to have lost their son, to have raised them and lost them and even though it was a different situation and circumstances, he would not let her be alone in her sorrow. He knew, if he'd had Piper when he'd lost Bae…he would perhaps have been better off, less hurt, but he didn't and she had him now. He knew that Mary Margaret hadn't quite left, but peeked in at the two of them, lying in his bed, with Piper in his arms, him whispering in her ear soothing words and running his hand through her hair, just the two of them lying together, before she'd left.

It was all the comfort that he could provide her at the moment, if they tried to break the magic on Aug…Pinocchio, there was a chance that he would revert back to the state he'd been in when the magic had been cast and die. Piper refused to risk that. She had told him how she'd subtly asked Gepetto to raise the boy as his own, with no mention of her, her way of trying to give him his best chance, because he'd started to turn to wood because of how SHE had raised him. Perhaps Gepetto would have a better chance this time and Pinocchio a better life.

Well, perhaps that wasn't all the comfort he could provide. He had stayed with her in the day or so after, kept her company, held her when she was upset, but he'd also promised her that, if they found proof that the Blue Fairy had intentionally done this to harm her, to punish her for being his true love or for some other spiteful reason…he would present her with the woman's wings ripped off and pinned to one of those collections boards that butterfly collectors used. She had smiled and kissed him rather deeply in thanks for that promise, knowing full well that he had been longing for a reason to do that to the fairy for centuries now. But, unfortunately, they had no proof that that had been the Blue Fairy's intention. Oh she could speculate, she could see maliciousness in her smile (where there might not have truly been), she could watch the fairy like a hawk and want to hurt her…but the fairy was, at the moment, an ally of her cousin and trusted by Snow White and she was protected in the fact that they could bring no proof to anyone that the Fairy had done this on purpose.

The moment that they did…oh there would be hell to pay for the blue gnat.

Piper had managed to gather her strength though, after a few days with Gold there to comfort and support her and…there was a new threat to be seen.

That night, that same night that August had been lost to her, Gold had gone with her to the room at Granny's that had been paid off to the end of that month to gather what she had left of him. That was the problem with the locator spell they tried, August had taken everything that belonged to him, but there were some things she had that belonged to HER about August, pictures and mementos of their lives before Storybrooke. She had albums and a few mother's day gifts from him that she wanted to bring with her to Gold's. She and August had been using the room together and those were the items he'd left. She's left them there as well, thinking that he might come back for them…but he hadn't and it had been time to collect them.

Gold had been packing the last of the things in a box on the bed when she had heard someone in the hall, had heard the songs of two people…Greg Mendell and Tamara in the hall and gone to look. What she saw had shocked her…they were kissing. Greg and Tamara were kissing in the doorway of Greg's room before they'd entered and she'd just…stared out the peephole she'd spied them through in alarm. There was no justified reason for that to happen but it was. Tamara was not only cheating on Neal…but she clearly knew Greg and that was not something that could be a coincidence in terms of how Greg was there and then Tamara came and there was more going on.

But she was at her wits end about everything and it was too much, it was all too much and she couldn't think about that right just then. She needed to gather her thoughts and focus. She was almost happy when she felt her heart starting to harden as the sorrow of what happened to her son began to set in. It helped clear her mind, it helped focus it, it helped push her to realize that that little boy was still in danger with Tamara and Greg in cahoots with each other and she was NOT going to let them cause any more harm to him or her family. She could guess, when she realized how Tamara had showed up so soon after August was harmed, how she'd showed up AFTER he'd passed and not when he still had strength to point. There was no reason for anyone in Storybrooke to kill August, not even Regina, not when Henry would have witnessed it…and August had been saying 'She' before he died…Tamara was the only new 'She' in town and she had been RIGHT there.

She felt her heart stronger for that, for that hardening, because if it was Tamara, which she suspected it was, if she and Greg were planning something, which she suspected they were, she would kill them both.

And she would NOT use her magic to do it this time.

But it was almost worse, it wasn't just her that was suffering this either, Gold had been having nightmares since they'd learned that Henry was his grandson. He'd woken just that morning in a panic, waking her as well, turning to her and apologizing over and over till she managed to calm him and see what was bothering him. He'd dreamed that it was Henry's birthday and that he'd allowed him to pick an item from the shop. Henry had picked a wand and he had, instead of showing him how to use it, turned Henry into a porcelain doll...and smashed him with his cane.

She knew, he'd met a seer once, who had told him there would be a boy that would be his undoing. He had sworn that he would kill the boy instead of allow him to end his life…only to realize that boy was his grandson. She wasn't worried at all about what might do to Henry, the fact that he woke up and his first thought was to apologize told her that he would regret doing something to the boy. He _couldn't_ harm Henry even if he wanted to, which she doubted he did. Despite what happened in the past, he did love his son more than his magic, he loved her more than his magic too and he had sworn to her, had adapted their original deal to include protection for her entire family. He would never break his deal and harm Henry like that.

But times were tense and there was so much going on, so much to work through, and she really wanted to have full use of both her arms to see it through.

After all, it was easier to strangle someone with two hands.

"Seems like we all have been pushed to the side lines," Regina's voice broke into Piper's thoughts as she and Gold looked over to see the woman approaching them.

"What are you doing here?" Gold rolled his eyes at her, not even slightly worried that she would try something against Piper, not in full view of Henry anyway.

"The real question is what's your son doing with mine?"

"Oh that..." he began before he saw Piper's smirk and realized Regina didn't know, "That's right, you didn't get the birth announcement, did you? That's Henry's father."

"What?!" Regina gaped.

"Honestly Regina, must we give you the lecture on the birds and the bees in relation to Baelfire and Emma?" Piper remarked with ease.

"You're Henry's grandfather?" Regina looked at Gold, "And you…" she narrowed her eyes at Piper, "You're his…"

"I prefer Aunt," Piper shrugged, knowing it was complicated to say his grandmother's cousin in terms of working out what she and Henry were and how many times removed and great whats.

"Guess that makes us family!" Gold grinned gleefully at Regina, loving how irritated she was, "He's got my eyes, don't you think?"

"Hmm…" Piper hummed, tilting her head at him, "I do believe he does."

"You did this!" Regina nearly screeched, pointing an accusing finger at Gold, as though he'd planned all this to happen.

"Hardly," Piper scoffed.

"Trust me, dearie," Gold chuckled, "It was as much a shock to me as it is to you."

"Me as well," Piper sighed, she hadn't quite gotten the chance to truly ask August why he hadn't told her he'd found Baelfire in all the chaos from before, now it seemed she wouldn't know the truth of it. All she knew was what Neal had told her along the way, that he'd requested no one know who he was and that August had held to that for some reason.

"No," Regina glared, "You must have known! When I adopted him, it was _you_ who procured him for me. You expect me to believe that that was a coincidence?"

"No, not coincidence," Gold shook his head, "Fate. And apparently, fate has a sense of humor."

"Fate," Regina spat, "So, you're playing the part of the loving grandpa now? They won't accept you, no matter what you do. Not your son, not any of them."

"We'll see."

"They do have a fondness for protecting blood," Piper murmured, "They have already proven their desire to see Rummy safe and protected solely for being Henry's grandfather," she turned to look at Regina, "What blood claim to YOU have to him?"

It was a low blow, she knew, from one adoptive mother to another, to bring up blood in comparison to how you felt for your child. August was her son, in every way that counted except in biology. Just as, she knew, Henry was Regina's. But she couldn't bring herself to care that much, not after losing her son, not after her heart hardened, what pain might come to Regina from her words. She knew it would sting to know that the two people before her had a closer blood bond to Henry than she ever would.

"I've already seen," Regina muttered, ignoring Piper's jab but it was all too clear to them that Piper's words had gotten to her, "But I've seen your dark heart and it always wins out. You always choose darkness."

"You think you know me, dearie," Gold sighed, sounding slightly amused, "But you don't."

"I know you well enough. If your own son couldn't bring out the good in you, who will?"

"You know…dark does not always mean evil," Piper called when Regina turned to leave, "Dark is a shade of gray, gray contains white in it, contains a lick of good," she eyed Regina, "Tell me, majesty, which of the three of us has a moniker of Evil to them?"

Regina glared at her before she turned to storm off, and Piper smirked. Dark didn't mean evil, Dark meant there was still a little good left in them. Dark was potential for either way. It was surprising how many people failed to realize how much good could come from the dark and shadows. She and Gold had proven that over the years, helping move things along, helping to protect when others were unaware, even if their methods were questionable, some good did come from it eventually.

~8~

Piper was not happy even as she sat in the car with her cousin, Emma, and David on their way to a field on the edge of town. Whale had refused to allow her to be without her sling, all he'd conceded was that she could use a looser one, allow herself more movement and freedom, but she still had to wear one and it was irritating. She'd never really been injured in the last 28 years, had been cautious and been careful and hadn't really been so constrained, she also hated it because she rather preferred playing her pipe with two hands than one. It was a good thing in the sense that others would underestimate her, but another in terms of the fact that she was just irritated in general. One never realized how much they used their hands till they couldn't use one.

Gold hadn't been very pleased with Whale either, but there was little they could do because of the magic resistant bullets that had been used. They had been heading back to his shop when David and Mary Margaret had pulled up near them and requested Piper's attendance with something. Gold had wanted to come but hadn't felt fond of being crammed in the car with them and so she was going herself, promising to tell her about what they wanted when she returned.

She could guess why they were at the field though, Mary Margaret had mentioned that Anton was back in Storybrooke and that he had some bean cuttings that they could use to try and grow some magic beans. She hadn't thought the conditions of Storybrooke would be good for growing such beans, as the Giants were in the sky and she could assume the air pressure was different, but then again, Anton would know best.

"Why are we in the middle of nowhere?" Emma asked as they got out of the car and headed for the field, "Why aren't you guys telling me what's going on? Why the secrecy?" she glanced at Piper, "Do you know something?"

"Because you need to see it," Mary Margaret smiled, answering before Piper could.

"Great. That always goes well for me. Listen, whatever it is, it can wait. August was trying to warn us about something…someone dangerous."

"Doesn't matter," David countered.

"The hell it doesn't!" Piper snapped at him, "My son died and I lost him to giving that warning so do not dare tell me it does not matter!"

Mary Margaret winced, "He didn't mean it like that," she tried to reassure Piper, already knowing that she and David hadn't always seen eye to eye. And his words hadn't been the best choice of them, but she knew he hadn't meant it like that, where he was trying to insult or demean what August had given up to try and help them.

"He just meant, well…come see," Mary Margaret stepped forward and disappeared from their eyes, David following.

Emma looked at Piper for an explanation, a little shocked.

Piper reached out her good hand and watched it disappear, "Cloaking spell," she remarked, "They are on the other side of it," she glanced at Emma and stepped through the spell, Emma with her, appearing in a tended field where magic beans were growing.

"Piper!"

Piper had barely any time to look over before she was being picked up in a big hug from Anton, being squeezed by the human sized giant, wincing a little at the tightness of it against her shoulder, "Hello Anton," she managed to smile though as he set her back down.

He blinked and poked her arm, "What happened to your arm?"

"I was shot," she told him.

He frowned and looked back at David with a suspicious look, "By James?" he whispered to her, just a little louder than an actual whisper.

"No," she sighed, "By that pirate we asked you to hold onto for a short while."

"The one with the hook?"

"Yes."

"I don't like him."

"Neither do I."

"So…not James then?"

"No, James is dead."

"But then why does he look like James?" he pointed at David.

"His twin brother," she told him, Mary Margaret having warned that the giant was leery of David even now, had refused to believe he wasn't really James till SHE could confirm it, "That is David," she added, "As irritating as his brother, but with a better heart."

"So he…he hasn't hurt you?" Anton asked, trying to be quiet again but not quite managing it.

"He has tried from time to time," she said easily, waving it off, "I am the quicker draw though," she gestured at her boot with her pipe in it, "He never harmed me Anton, not like James or George did."

"Good," Anton smiled, giving her another, lighter hug, "Cos…cos I'd punch him if he did," he told her, "I won't let anyone hurt you Piper, not after all you did to try and help me."

She smiled at that, "Many thanks, Anton, that means the world to me and I am sure that will mean much more to Rummy."

"Rummy?"

"My true love," she said, not quite sure if she should bring up that her true love was the Dark One just yet, even the Giants knew about him.

"I would like to meet him one day," Anton told her, straightening, puffing out his chest slightly, sounding very much like an older brother she never had, "Make sure he's doing a good job."

"He is and you shall," she reassured him, "I think he should like the help in dealing with Hook for shooting me," she nodded at her shoulder.

"It would be my honor to assist," Anton nodded, blinking as he seemed to realize something, "Are you here to help? It's not quite harvest time yet."

"Not at the moment, no," Piper told him, "Snow wanted Emma and I to see this and see you," she glanced at Emma, "You remember Emma yes?"

Anton looked over and waved at Emma, but Emma was staring at the field of beans, "Beans. You're growing magic beans. That's what you were up to when we were in New York? Why didn't you tell me?"

"They told me," Piper offered and Emma gestured at her as though repeating the question to her parents.

"We are telling you," David replied, "We kept it a secret to protect the crop. Mother Superior, she cloaked the area," he ignored Piper's scoff of disgust at the thought of fairy magic, choosing instead to use 'Mother Superior' instead of the Blue Fairy given what happened to August, "That way Anton can do what he does best."

"Throw darts?" Piper jested, making Anton smile.

"I am the best dart thrower around," he puffed out his chest again in pride, recalling that Piper had been one of the few genuinely impressed with his display in the tavern so long ago, "But, yeah, I do this pretty good too."

"Um, Anton," Emma glanced at him, "Don't take this the wrong way, but w-why-why are you so..."

"Small? Cora," he frowned, "She and Regina brought some magic to make me human-sized. Kind of like it."

"Enough lollygagging!" Leroy called and they looked over, as though just noticing the dwarves were all gathered there as well, "Back to it."

"Wow," Anton grumbled, "Dwarves really like to work. It's great to see you, Piper," he gave her another hug.

"Please find me in town later Anton," she told him, "I will either be at Granny's, Snow's apartment, or Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop, and we can have dinner with Rummy."

"I'd like that," he smiled, nodding before he turned to walk back to the dwarves.

"You want to use the beans to make a portal, to go back to the Enchanted Forest," Emma turned to David and Mary Margaret, "That's the real reason you didn't tell me. What about Ogres and destruction and danger?"

"Ogres and danger are not that much of a threat," Piper waved it off.

"And we can fix the destruction," David nodded, actually seeming to agree with her for once, "We can fix all that. We did it before, we can do it again."

"We can start over, Emma," Mary Margaret smiled.

"So, you've changed your mind?" Emma frowned, "You wanna go now, too."

"Not my mind," Mary Margaret shook her head, "My heart. Our family…this world has cost us so much, and we're struggling here Emma. There's just…so much pain…"

"And having your lives hunted down and kingdoms burned isn't painful?" Emma countered, recalling the stories of Snow White and Rose Red.

"It was home," Piper said, "This world is a reminder of everything we have lost, of the reasons why we are here. To be back in the Forest…we can rebuild," she told her, "This is a cursed land Emma, whether you wish to believe it or not, and we are trapped here. Home is freedom."

"It'll be good for all of us," David began, "The…" he glanced at Piper, "Whole family," he let out, knowing that this world would always be a reminder to her of how she was separated from Snow White and True Love, how her son had been lost and…he understood, it was a reminder to him as well of how his daughter grew up without them.

"We're from there," Mary Margaret nodded, "You're from there."

"No, this world is…my home," Emma argued.

"And it's been nothing but cruel to you," David reminded her, "If we go back, I think you might be able to have your happy ending."

Piper looked at Emma, knowing already that she wouldn't be willing to try this plan, but…if Henry wanted to go, which she knew he would, she doubted Emma would just let him go alone. And if Neal was as dedicated a father as he was trying to be, he would return with them as well.

~8~

Piper sat across from Gold in Granny's Diner that night, she'd gone for a walk with Mary Margaret after they'd left the bean field and passed the park where Neal and Henry still here…but Neal was speaking with Gepetto and Aug…Pinocchio was playing with Henry, the two seeming to get on very well. She'd caught sight of Gepetto and he'd given her a sorrowful wave and bow of his head, but she'd just given him a nod back and a small smile. It was hard, it was the hardest thing she'd ever experienced, seeing her son running around, seeing him looking around for his father and his gaze going past her again, seeing him running to hug Gepetto and she was left standing there. But she stepped back and she walked away with Mary Margaret, back to Gold's shop and spent the rest of the day polishing the items there, much like she had done in the Enchanted Forest when she was thoughtful on something or affected by something, she'd just absently clean and he said not a word, understanding.

But eventually time had come for the shop to close and he had led her to the Diner for a small dinner, like a date he had said, making her smile. She loved the little 'dates' that they had together, both in this world and in their 'courting' in the Enchanted Forest. Many people would refuse to see it, but she did, he was really and truly a sweet and romantic man it was just his reputation that got the best of him. When she had first come to Storybrooke, a few of the people had pulled her aside to warn the 'new girl' about him, especially when it became clear that they were close. They would say that he was a powerful man, a dark man, ruthless even, that people got hurt when they crossed him and to get away while she could. She had probably startled a few of them when she just laughed, smiled, and told them that was what she was counting on him to be. She wanted to know that, she wanted to know that he still inspired that level of fear, that he was still the same man she'd fallen in love with and held in her heart for so long.

And then…when they remembered who SHE was…their reactions were priceless that they'd tried to warn, of all people, the Pied Piper, away from the Dark One.

But that moniker of 'The Dark One' was really so overused, Gold could be a dashing hero as well as a cruel villain, and he was gentle, especially when he wanted to woo his lady and she was rather glad SHE was his lady.

She had just started to smile as he held up his glass of wine to her, toasting her strength silently, to be able to endure what she was, the loss of her son, even though he was still alive, when someone stopped by their table. She looked up, blinking when she saw a face she'd only glimpsed around town, a face that was often glaring at Gold and her for associating with Gold, a face that had been 'taken care of' staring back at her. She glanced at Gold who was frowning at the woman, as though he were trying to work out why she was there and what she wanted.

"Can I help you dearie?" he asked dryly, with no intention to actually help in his voice, "As you can see, we are in the middle of something.

But then the girl said something that startled them both.

"Rumpelstiltskin," Isabelle French began, looking at him, "I remember you."

A/N: I know this chapter didn't have much of 'Lacey' as in the episode, but there was a bit of the whole Belle was never in the hospital to begin with, she never needed her memories of this life to really recover nor her original memories thing. So I wanted to try and follow the episode as much as I could, but hold off on the big 'uh oh' moment till the end. Belle remembers }:) We'll have to wait and see what happens next ;)

I can say though, Robin Hood in the next chapter ;) And then we get some serious Tamara-suspicion going from Piper and a bit of sharing between her and Emma ;) And some Anton meeting Gold ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, thanks! I fixed it :)

Aww, I'm sorry :( It killed me to write that chapter too, because of August :'( I can say we'll be shifting away from Piper's loss a little more after this chapter...she'll be very focused on Tamara and Greg and revenge ;) So far there's no drumming, which I'm thankful for ;)


	38. The Hunter and the Hunted

The Hunter and the Hunted

Rumpelstiltskin stood in the doorway of the cell that the Pied Piper was currently lying in. She was on her back, on the floor, her feet up on the wall, her arms beneath her head and crossed, just…lying there with her eyes closed. It was an odd thing to walk in on. He was honestly surprised that this was what he was seeing, he hadn't been expecting it. Of all things, he'd actually thought that he'd step in and see the cell mysteriously empty. That, perhaps, she had charmed the rats and other insects in the castle to steal the key to the cell and create some sort of tower of themselves to put the key in the lock and escape. It was a foolish thought, utterly ridiculous…were it not entirely possible. He had heard tell of the things she could do with her music, and he had to admit…she HAD charmed him into the woods as much as he'd wanted to deny it. She'd charmed him right to where she wanted him before he'd even realized what was going on.

But this…well, he tilted his head to observe her, still in her travelling clothes, her cloak cast to the side with her bag which was…odd. Why didn't she use her cloak as a pillow instead? Why didn't she take anything out of her bag and set it up as though the room were her own, which it was. THIS was going to be her bedroom. Or…at least he'd planned it that way. But this…this was putting a bit of a damper in his plans. He liked his caretakers to be scared of him, to be uncomfortable, so that they wouldn't dare cross him, so that they'd be ever so thankful when he showed them some sort of comfort that they'd fawn all over him like he was some benevolent god instead of the Dark One. He liked breaking them…but the Piper was proving already, within just the first day, to be unlike the other caretakers.

For one…she appeared…comfortable. He should have guessed that given that her first words about the room were essentially that she didn't mind and that stone was better than dirt. And she was just…lying there! Like she was entirely at ease, like she wasn't trapped in his dungeons. She hadn't even stirred when he'd thrown the door open, hadn't even flinched, and he knew she was still awake. She was…quite the conundrum.

"Did you have a task for me?" she asked after the moments of silence and staring dragged on, still she didn't open her eyes though.

And for some reason he found himself preferring that she would. Her eyes were a…unique shade of green, well not really, but they were…a good color. It reminded him of the forest outside his home, of the Never-Ending Forest that he often sent people to get trapped in. It was a very good shade of green.

He nearly startled at that, at her sudden question, most caretakers only spoke when they were spoken to, "No."

THAT seemed to be enough to get her to open her eyes as she tilted her head back to look at him upside down, "Then might I inquire as to the visit?" she smirked a little, "Did the Dark One miss me already?"

He wanted to let out a scoff at that, but it came out as more of a giggle, "Careful with that tongue of yours dearie," he warned.

"Or what?" she challenged.

"Or you shall find yourself without it."

She shrugged, seeming not at all perturbed by that, "I do not need a tongue to play instruments."

He blinked, well, it appeared threats were lost on her.

But she wasn't done there it appeared, "If you had another use for my tongue though, I feel you should at least begin a proper courtship first."

He started to sputter at that, completely thrown that she would think of that or say that or assume he would ever consider that, no, no, kissing was bad. Belle had proven that kissing was very bad and he did NOT want to kiss Piper or Belle or any woman, ever, never ever again. No, not if it meant he would lose his magic for it.

"I am not here for a courtship!" he pouted.

"Then why?" she asked, closing her eyes again.

"I was…merely trying to ensure you were still alive."

She frowned and sat up this time, turning to him, "Why would you believe I was dead?"

"The cell was silent as the grave," he said simply.

"And that is…bad?"

"It is unusual."

"How so?"

"You weren't sobbing," his face pinched in disgust, "Many other caretakers, they all get ever so weepy about being here."

"I am not many other caretakers I can assure you of that," she countered, pushing herself up more but not standing.

"I see that," he eyed her. She was…truly at ease, not at all upset to be there. Well how was he supposed to use the cell against her when she was just as comfortable there as she'd be I a room? She was making things complicated.

"If you prefer, I can fill the room with music so you know I am alive."

"Music or magic?"

"Which would you prefer?" she countered, "This is YOUR castle, I believe it would be up to you. My magic, at your command, that was the deal was it not?"

"It doesn't have to be all the time, dearie," he said before he even realized he'd said it.

He wanted to say that he didn't know where that had come from…but he did. His magic, it could be controlled by the dagger that had his name on it. Whatever the holder wanted, he would be forced to do, his freewill, his magic at their beck and call. The deal he'd struck with her…it was like the contract was his dagger and HE was in possession of it. He…could understand what it felt like to have the thing that burned inside him being used by someone else and…he honestly…only for deals. He'd promised himself, only for deals would he use her magic, perhaps for some displays or defense, but no more than was necessary.

"Many thanks," she gave a small nod of her head.

He tilted his head and looked at her, opening his mouth to ask her how desperate she had to be, to truly be, for her to offer him control like that…when the sound of shattering glass reached them.

"Come," was all he said to her as he turned and rushed out of the room, Piper following him to the source of the sound, where a man was sifting through his possession in the main room of his house, grabbing a magic wand and holding it up to look at, "Are you sure you wanna do this, dearie?" he called.

The man spun around, pulling the hood of his cape off to reveal a man with short black hair, stubble, and brown eyes as he glared at them, a bow in his hands and now aiming an arrow at them, "Pretty sure."

"If you don't know how to use that wand, it can do nasty things to you."

"Well, then...I'll stick to what I know works," he tensed the arrow, "Do you know what this arrow can do to you?"

"Has to hit me first," he teleported to another part of the room.

The thief smirked, "Shouldn't be a problem. An arrow fired from this bow always finds its target," his gaze flickered to Piper, "But who says I'll be aiming for you!" and quickly turned it on her, clearly thinking that the man would either poof her away or poof in the way as he nearly released the arrow.

Piper was quicker though, only having to open her mouth to a shrill whistle that had the man letting go of the bow, nearly dropping it as he stumbled back, his hands pressed to his ears to keep the piercing note out as Piper stepped up to him, making it louder and louder the nearer she came.

"Well done dearie," Rumpelstiltskin walked up to the man still on the ground and putting a hand on Piper's shoulder to signal her to stop, "But don't you know? All magic comes with a price! I'm not the only one with magic here," he grinned, looking at Piper, impressed with how passive her face was at the blood dripping down the thief's nose as he passed out on the ground.

That trick could be quite useful when people tried to run away.

~8~

Piper stood in the main hall of the Dark Castle, polishing some candlesticks, a broom beside her, ready to start sweeping when she finished, not even flinching at the sounds of the thief screaming in a side room.

"I'm gonna need another apron," Rumpelstiltskin grinned as he entered the room, an old, once-white apron tied around him and splattered with red.

"You shall have to wait I am afraid," she remarked.

"And why is that?" he came to the table and leaned against the side of it, his eyes flickering from her work and her eyes to his apron and back, as though he were waiting for her to notice or remark on the blood covering him.

"Your prior caretaker was horrendous at removing bloodstains," she said simply.

"And you are better?" he asked.

"I have been taking care of myself for many years," she set one of the candle stick holders down and picked up the second, "I am not a princess that has her ladies tending to her spotted clothing. I am no stranger to more copious amounts of blood as well."

"No, I don't suppose you would be," he eyed her, knowing that her first reference was about women in general, but that the second was about her own terrible past. There was quite a bit of red spotting along her timeline, and given that she only seemed to have that one dress to her name and he saw no traces of blood on it, he could assume that she was as adept as she claimed in removing blood, "How long shall it take?"

"Long enough for his wounds to start to heal," she glanced at him, a small spark in her eyes.

He felt a wide smile forming on his face, "It does seem to hurt more when the wounds are reopened, doesn't it?" he hummed a moment before he pulled his bloody apron off, "Fix the others and get to cleaning this one as well," he handed it to her, watching in interest as she didn't do what Belle had done once before, grip it with the tips of her fingers and in the cleanest part of the apron, but just grabbed it, uncaring of the blood on it and took it from him, "I'll be back later."

"I have a question," she called as he began to leave.

"Yes?" he spun on his heel and held out his arms.

"You are doing this merely because he tried to steal a magic wand?"

"No," he shook his head, "Because he tried to steal from me. The Dark One. You try that, you get skinned alive. Everyone knows that."

"It does not appear that HE knew that."

He blinked, she wasn't reprimanding him for it, but commenting, "Well they will after they discover the body."

"Hmmm…" she hummed.

"Yes?" he raised his eyebrows, not sure if he should be irritated she appeared to be countering that in her mind, "What is it?"

She shrugged, "There will be less thieves coming to steal from you if they find him like that," she remarked.

"Yes, and?"

"I should have thought you would miss the screaming."

He blinked at that, starting to smirk, "I should have thought that it would be an alarming noise to you, the screams."

She gave him a smirk of her own, "I am no stranger to the screams of others," she told him, a hint of darkness and danger in her words as she merely turned and resumed her polishing of the candlestick holders.

He stood there a moment longer, eyeing her, before he turned and strode out of the room, considering perhaps he should leave the body somewhere it wouldn't be found, unaware of Piper watching him go.

She waited till he was out of sight, till he was far enough away, before she set the candle stick holder down and turned, walking into the side room to see the thief was tied up. It appeared to be a special torture-themed room, not quite the dungeons, but a room meant to hold a prisoner for the Dark One's use.

"What?" the man glared at her, as she turned to close the door behind her, "Did he send you to finish the job?"

Piper paused, looking at the wood of the door before closing her eyes and taking a breath, spinning around, her eyes wide with fear and alarm, as she rushed over to him, "No, no, I'm so sorry that he is doing this to you," she hurried for his bindings around his wrist holding him up, "I had no idea he would do this to you when I stopped you. I'm so sorry. I can't let him hurt you like this anymore. It's…it's monstrous."

"I-I couldn't agree more," the man winced as his one arm fell out of the bindings, "But I fear now he'll turn his wrath on you."

"It'll be ok," she smiled at him, tentatively, "I…I'm new here, I can try and make him think I didn't know better," she gave a small laugh, "I don't think anyone deserves to be tortured."

"Well, he may beg to differ.

She looked over her shoulder quickly, "You have to go," she hurried to the other binding, releasing it, "He'll be back soon. Go!"

"But he will…he will kill you," he looked at her, trying to contain his wincing, "Unless-unless you run away with me!"

She shook her head sadly, "I can't run. I've a deal with him. Protection in exchange for serving him. I…I cannot leave or else I…I might lose my magic," what a lie.

"All I can do is wish you luck," the man told her.

"And I you," she smiled, "Now quickly, go," she led him to the window of the room, "There should be ivy enough for you to climb down and…"

"Yes," he leaned out, "Yes I see it. Thank you," he turned to her, already climbing out the window, giving her one more smile, "Thank you for this," before he began to climb down.

Piper's expression morphed into a dark smirk, "My pleasure," she murmured, reaching up to close the windows and make her way back into the main room to wait for the Dark One to return.

~8~

Piper looked up from where she was sweeping as Rumpelstiltskin walked back into the main room, "I'll try not to be too loud," he grinned at her, clapping as he finished tying another apron onto him, "I can't promise the same courtesy from our prisoner."

She stood there, waiting and watching as he walked into the side room, counting down silently in her mind until…

"PIPER!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted, storming out of the room with a fierce glare on his face, "Where is he?!" he demanded.

"Is he not there?" she gave him a small, amused smirk, "Ooh, he must have escaped."

"Or you let him go!" he nearly snarled.

"Ye of such little faith in your new caretaker," she tsked.

But he grabbed her arm, not even earning a flinch from her, "Why would you let him go? He was a thief!" he turned and stormed over to the items he'd seen the thief pilfering around the other day, "He took the wand! He wanted magic and took the wand!"

"You were going to kill him," she told him simply, "Right there, in that room."

"I have every right to!" he shouted, letting go as a thought hit him, "Oh, let me guess. You think he's a hero, stealing from me for some noble cause. I thought you, of all people, wouldn't be THAT gullible dearie. People who steal magic never have good intentions!"

She let out an exasperated breath, "I did not free him for that purpose."

"Then what was it?" he nearly snarled.

She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head as though it should be obvious and walked over to where the thief's bow and arrow were lying against a chair, picking them up and walking back to hold them to Rumpelstiltskin, "I thought that you would enjoy the thrill of the hunt more than a stationary target," she looked at the bow, "What better irony, to hunt with the man's own bow?"

He blinked and stared at the bow and arrow before a dark grin began to spread across his face. He let out a giggle as he took the bow and arrow from her, "I do love the thrill…" he murmured, and glanced up at her, "And, because it was your blessed idea, you get to come with me and watch," he stepped closer to her, "And know, as the blood drips from his carcass, it'll be you and your rags to wipe it up."

"Hmm…" she hummed, as though considering that.

"A problem dearie?" he smirked, "Your stomach not strong enough?"

"No," she shook her head, tilting her head but rolling her eyes up to lock on his, "I merely thought it would be more entertaining to allow the animals a decent meal."

He let out a delighted giggle at that, "Ooh I like you Piper," he told her, stringing the bow and quiver onto his back and holding out his hand to her to take, the two of them disappearing in a puff of red smoke a moment later.

~8~

"I'm losing track of him," Rumpelstiltskin frowned as he and Piper trekked through the forest that his magic had led them to, the locator spell he'd used on the bow moving slowly, Piper in her brown travelling cloak beside him, the clasp having been magically fixed by him at the start of their trek through the greens and browns, "This forest is too thick."

"Is there any way to speed up the locator spell?" she inquired.

"No," he muttered, "And we cannot let the thief escape! What would people think if I spared the life of someone who stole from me?"

"That you were going soft, I should think," she answered even though she knew he wasn't asking an actual question.

He shot her a small glare over his shoulder that didn't hold as much power as it would have just after he'd discovered the thief was gone, "And whose fault would that be?"

"Well yours," she challenged, "If you and your magic cannot find a simple man hiding in the woods," he turned back to their quest, the two of them falling silent for a moment before she asked, "You could have killed me, after you saw him gone."

"Yes."

"Why did you not?"

He glanced at her, "We had just made a deal," he remarked, turning back, "I doubted you would do something to break it so soon."

She started to smile, "You thought I had a good reason to do it."

He made no noise of acknowledgement that she was right, even though she was, "Be thankful that you did dearie."

"Why? What would you have done had I simply let him go?"

"You saw the thief."

"Yes."

"That," he added, "But much, much worse."

"Would you really?" she challenged, not sounding at all like she believed him, "Look me in the eye and repeat that."

He rounded on her, "Don't tell me you are one of those sniveling fools that believe that I am not as dark as I want people to believe. That, deep down, there's love in my heart, for something more than power?"

"Hardly," she looked him right in the eye, "I know how dark you are."

"Ooh I doubt that very much dearie," he smirked, "I assure you, I'm darker. Much darker."

"I shall look forward to you proving it to me one day," she told him, "I prefer to see with my own eyes than trust the word of strangers."

He started to smile at that, about to tell her that he would expect the same from her, to show him the truth of what she's like than the stories he'd heard of her. He'd seen glimpses of what she could do, he'd seen flashes of darkness in her eyes, but he wanted to see it come out fully.

"What are you doing in my woods?" a voice demanded.

They looked over, standing only a foot away from each other, to see a man in a sheriff's garb had leapt out of the tress beside them, his sword out, dark haired and dark eyed, seeming as pompous as a man could be to threaten and demand anything of the Dark One.

"Pardon the intrusion, sheriff," Rumpelstiltskin began, slightly shaken that he hadn't heard the man sneak up on them, that he'd been that focused on Piper that he'd not noticed, "Uh, I'm looking for a thief. He attacked me with this bow. Uh, I…I traced him as far as these woods, and then he vanished."

"Yes," the man sighed, "I know exactly who you're after. But I also know who you are, Rumpelstiltskin."

"My reputation precedes me," Rumpelstiltskin grinned, "Excellent."

"Yes, as does your penchant for making deals," he sheathed his sword again, "I'll tell you where you can find your thief if you give me something in return."

Rumpelstiltskin was not amused, "What do you want?"

But the man just grinned at Piper, "A night with your wench."

"She's not for sale," Rumpelstiltskin nearly growled at that, taking a step forward, as though to block her from the man's leering gaze.

"You can't part with her for, say, an hour?" the man tried, eyeing her up and down, seeing her jaw clench as though she were literally biting her lip to keep from speaking, his gaze flickering to the pipe in her boot, "A musician," he grinned, licking his lips, "I bet you have a talented tongue. I should love to test that theory."

"You try," Piper spoke, her voice tense but eerily calm, "I bite your tongue off," she warned, "I have done it before."

The man seemed actually startled by that, by the venom and threat and truth in her voice and stepped back at that, but Rumpelstiltskin just giggled and tapped his fingers together in glee as though he'd just been hit with a rather remarkable idea, "Ooh, I propose a new deal," he flicked his hand and the man fell to his knees, clutching at his throat and staring in horror at the pink lump that was floating in the air before him, his tongue, "I give you this back and, in return, you tell me everything you know about the man I am hunting," he tsked as the man tried to speak, "You ought to be more careful with your possessions," he tilted his head, "Do you agree to my terms?" he put his hand to his ear as the man only succeeded in making gurgling noises, "What was that?" he laughed as the man tried to speak again, "Alright, I'll take that as a 'yes' then," he flicked his hand and the tongue disappeared in a poof, the man gasping and touching his jaw, the tongue returned, "Start talking!" he barked.

"The thief that you're after," the man swallowed, scrambling to his feet, "I've been chasing him for years. He ruined me! He stole the woman I love and made me the laughingstock of all of Nottingham!"

"Where can I find him?"

"Well, the last I heard, he was hiding out in Sherwood Forest."

"What of his name?" Piper asked, making Rumpelstiltskin look at her, "There is a power in words," she murmured, and he nodded, understanding, there was a magic in itself of how much words had power of others, from a curse to a name, it could be useful to know.

"Robin Hood," the man answered, "He goes by Robin Hood."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded and turned, about to trek off when he paused and looked back, hearing a thump, to see that Piper had smacked the man across the face with a rock she'd picked up, knocking him out.

"What?" she gave him a look when he turned to her.

"Nothing, dearie," he smirked, waiting till she caught up to him to poof them to Sherwood Forest, the locator spell picking up instantly and leading them through it, towards this Robin Hood man.

It only took a few more minutes of silent walking before the bow stopped tugging in Rumpelstiltskin's hand, indicating they were there, that Robin Hood was near. He looked around, and then down a small incline, realizing he and Piper were standing on the top of a little hill, overlooking Robin Hood as he stood there, looking around but making no move to continue in any direction.

"Found him," he grinned.

"Who is he waiting for?" Piper wondered, but it was answered a moment later when a small cart was wheeled over to him by two men pulling it. He seemed to thank the men and send them off, pulling a blanket down off the back of it to reveal a woman lying in the back, pale and sickly, seeming close to death, "Hmm…the woman he stole from the sheriff."

Rumpelstiltskin glanced at her for how she didn't comment on the wand or the fact that the woman was ill, that the wand was likely for her, "It appears she's going to die," he murmured.

"Does that matter?" she looked at him, "He is a thief. The law is the law."

He grinned at that, finally someone who understood! You break a rule, you face the consequences! He looked down at the bow and arrow, then to the man as he ran the wand along the woman, curing her, bringing the healthy tone back to her skin and helping her sit up to hug her, "Care to do the honors, dearie?" he asked, holding up the bow to her.

She eyed it with a raised brow a moment, "Are you certain?" he nodded as she took the bow, "What if I miss?"

"The bow is enchanted," he reminded her, "The arrow never misses its target. Here," he turned her, moving her to the side, to the proper stance, and lifted the bow, an arrow already in his hand. He out his one hand on hers, just on the bow, used his other hand to help her pull the string back, making sure the arrow was notched before his hand on the string fell to her shoulder. He tilted his head to the side, his nose brushing along the back of her head, his breath ghosting along her ear as he whispered, "Focus on the target dearie," he murmured, "Hit him and leave her to tell all of Sherwood Forest what happens when you cross Rumpelstiltskin."

Piper focused, watching as the man helped the woman stand, revealing a swollen stomach on the woman, "She is with child."

He looked over, "Does that matter?" he whispered, feeling his heart beating in his chest at how close he was to her to help her keep the arrow aimed, his hand moving from the bow to her forearm, not even realizing that his thumb was stroking the skin of her inner arm, "The law is the law, is it not?"

Piper considered them a moment before she let out a breath, releasing the arrow…

And striking the tree just behind Robin Hood's head.

The man's gaze shot up, looking around, but missing them above him, "We've been found!" he cried, turning to the woman, "Marian, we must go!" and rushing off with her.

"What happened?" Rumpelstiltskin frowned, stepping away from her, "It should be impossible to miss."

"I did not miss," she turned to him, placing the tip of the bow on the ground, resting her hand on the other end of it, "I intended to strike the tree."

He frowned, "And why is that?" he asked, starting to learn that she did things for a reason, that if she aimed for it, there was a cause to it.

"Look at them," she gestured back, turning to look over her shoulder a moment as she observed the two fleeing through the woods, a dark smirk appearing on her face, "I know from experience…it is much more fun when they are afraid," she turned back to him, the darkness flashing in her eyes as well. She knew, of course she knew…but from the opposite end, SHE had been the hunted and she knew, she saw it in the eyes of her hunters, it was more fun for them when the prey was afraid.

It was time she experienced it from the other side.

Rumpelstiltskin let out a pleased giggle, clapping his hands, "Ooh yes it is dearie," he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, "I can almost taste it as well," he opened his eyes and held out a hand to her, "Shall we?"

She grinned dangerously and took his hand.

Let the hunt begin.

A/N: I can say that Rumple gave Piper something as a small treat after the hunt, but we'll have to wait till the third story to find out what ;)

I know Piper might be seen as a hypocirte for experiencing being hunted and doing it to someone else. But that's purposeful. No one is perfect and Piper's reached a point of not caring. Her life and her heart make it hard for her to feel much empathy at times. I think it adds a little more sinisterness to her, that she can endure something and then do it to someone else }:)

Some notes on reviews...

Yup, Outlaw Queen will happen, just like in the show ;)

Ooh nope, Piper and Robin are not going to see eye to eye after this chapter }:)


	39. The Evil Queen

The Evil Queen

Piper looked at Isabelle French with a raised eyebrow, the girl smiling softly at Gold who looked like he was plotting someone's murder as they sat there, "And that is supposed to mean something?" she inquired of the girl who had just told them that she remembered who Gold really was, apparently her life as 'Isabelle' had worn off…or been undone.

"Yes," the girl glanced at Piper, swallowing hard, "It…it means that I'm going to stop you."

"Stop me?" Piper seemed amused at that, "Stop me from doing what, exactly?"

"From leading Rumple down the path of darkness," Isabelle, no, Belle crossed her arms, "I know who you are, Pied Piper, and I won't let you lure him further into the darkness with your music."

Piper actually started to laugh at that, slowly rising, the diner falling quiet as the townspeople looked over watching the woman they knew to be both Snow White's cousin and Rumpelstiltskin's True Love, facing off with the Princess Belle, "You think _I _am the one luring him into the darkness?" she snorted, "Hardly."

"I've seen it!" Belle defended, "I've seen you encouraging him, I've heard about you enabling him. Like with the wraith! You didn't even try to stop him!"

"Why would I?" Piper shook her head, "I dare you to look at the mob that went after the Queen and ask any one of them if they would have said no to her removal once and for all," she eyed Belle as the woman stepped back, "You seem to have a very narrow view of the Dark One if you think I could lead him anywhere."

"Well…" Gold began, starting to smirk darkly, rather enjoying seeing Piper standing up to Belle. He knew that, even as he was dealing with the woman and making sure that her memories were erased, that Piper would have loved to confront the girl herself, but had wanted to spare her that when she returned from the Enchanted Forest.

"I rather like to think we both would walk into the darkness willingly, side by side, preferably with my arm in yours," Piper gave him a smile before she turned back to Belle, "You have not changed at all, have you Princess?"

"I'm stronger now," Belle stated, trying to rise to her full height, which was still shorter than Piper's, "I'm…I'm not afraid of you anymore."

"Tell that to the tremble in your voice dearie," Piper grinned darkly, stepping forward, making Belle step back, "I am part-Siren, I can HEAR it. Like music to my ears. Nearly as exquisite coming from you as your screams were when we first met," she tilted her head, "You do remember that moment, do you not?" she took another step, Belle nearly stumbling as she tried to step back more, "I would be more than happy to jog that particular memory with an encore performance if you are so desirous of challenging me."

"N-no," Belle took a breath, "I…"

"N-no, you…what?" Piper gave her a mock-curious look, "Heed my words princess, and heed them well…back off," she took one more step, Belle tripping on her feet and nearly falling against one of the stools by the counter of the diner, "You have had 28 years to grow, 28 years to change, yet you still see Rummy as only a man to be saved, from his curse, from me, from whatever it is in your simple little mind that makes you think he needs to be saved from it. You try to change him, I accept him, you tell me, which sounds more like love to you?"

"I…I do accept him," Belle stuttered.

"But he does not accept you," Piper countered, "He does not want you. He does not love you. He never will. So…I say again, back off," there was an edge in her voice now, "You challenge me, dearie, you will lose and you will lose everything. I have caused for princes to die, I have caused for mayors to be beheaded, I have caused for animals to drown. You test me and I will face you down," she smirked when Belle's gaze flickered to Gold, as though she were expecting him to pull her back, "And if you think that Rummy shall ever come to your aid?" she scoffed, "Ask yourself if he ever showed an interest in you in the 28 years you had him to yourself here in this town," she grinned darkly, "He was half-cursed, I was nowhere to be seen, and still he chose me the moment I returned. And he will always choose me as I will always choose him."

Piper eyed Belle once more before she stepped back, "Disturb us again," she warned, "Try to take him from me, challenge ME, and…well…I shall leave that up to Rummy to decide how I should use my magic on you. I have not killed someone in quite a while," she added easily, "I am rather feeling that itch again."

And with that, she sat back down across from Gold, and resumed her conversation with him, as though the entire confrontation hadn't happened, as though the entire diner hadn't cone deathly silent, and as though the trembling Belle hadn't bolted out of the doors as soon as Piper's head had turned.

Piper just smirked, seeing a flash of desire in Gold's eyes for how she'd handled that, he was rather a fan of inspiring fear and death threats in one go. She felt her own heart racing as he took her hand and began to stroke the inner side of her wrist, just above her pulse point.

"Shall we call dinner early?" Gold asked, his intent clear for their next destination.

She hummed in thought, glancing around as she saw the people trying to get back to their normal course of meal but eyeing her warily, and smiled, "I think dessert would be sweeter at the moment."

Gold grinned and stood, holding a hand to her to help her up as they slowly made their way from the diner, heading for his house. Oh she knew that Belle wouldn't give up that easily, that princess seemed to try and be brave, like the heroes in her books, but she hadn't quite found her bravery just yet. She'd run off, come up with a plan, watch for an opening, and then try again, she knew that. She could guess as much from the stories Gold had told her about what Belle was like as caretaker before she took over.

She felt her smile turn dangerous as she thought on it. Let the little princess try her, let her challenge her for Gold, just let her try. 28 years would be plenty long enough for the majority of the town to have grown complacent and to let their fears of certain people diminish. Just let Belle try to anger her and she was certain it would come about that the town would remember just why the Pied Piper was classified a Villain in the stories. And if Belle tried anything with Gold?

Well…not even Snow White would save her then.

~8~

Piper was making her way into the Diner, about to meet Emma for breakfast to discuss some…things that she had finally been able to focus on since she'd lost August. She had things she had to tell her, about Greg, about Tamara, about Neal, and she was finally ready to do it. It had taken time for Gold to be able to comfort her enough to get out of their house and to walk about, to be able to even look at August, and, oddly enough, it had taken Belle of all people to get her back into the swing of things. Seeing that woman there, seeing that she remembered who Gold was, and seeing that she clearly still had her same mad mission to 'save' him from something he didn't want to be saved from was all the reminder she needed that she was the Piper, she was the Pied Piper, and she was stronger than this.

What Belle had said, that she wasn't scared of her (even though she quite clearly was), had reminded her of when she'd been running in the woods from Regina and her knights. SHE was not that scared little girl anymore. SHE was not a princess anymore. SHE was not even just the Piper anymore. She was the Dark One's true love, she had been a mother, she had family now, and she was going to protect them. And Emma…she was the only one she could trust, besides Gold, to help her in this. Because she knew that Emma would listen to her, she would listen to her suspicions, not just because she was the sheriff and it was her job to investigate even if she didn't believe what was being said to her, but because she was sure that Emma had similar suspicions.

Mary Margaret would want to believe the best in Tamara, would come up with a number of excuses to explain the woman and reassure her. Emma would listen and see the real problems in it and help her.

She smiled as she headed for the Diner, it was very early actually, and Gold was still sleeping. Which was odd as he was usually up and at his shop by now, but it did make sense considering sleep had not been what they were spending the night doing. She was rather pleased that she had made him this tired that he was still in bed…it would help if he wasn't there for this discussion either.

There were two things that were threatening Storybrooke now, Regina and Tamara, and both would set Gold off. Tamara because the woman was clearly playing his son, and any threat to Baelfire, Gold would take care of himself and take care of as in kill brutally…and she doubted that Greg would talk if his 'partner' was killed. No, they needed both Tamara and Greg alive to get anything useful out of them. As for Regina, Gold had worked out last night that Belle's 'remembering' was Regina being petty and her own form of 'revenge' against them, to give some sort of 'competition' as though Belle could be anything of the sort. She understood, in a way, Regina had, for quite a while, thought that BELLE was the one that Gold had truly loved and, even if he didn't, Belle was in love with Gold and could try something.

It wouldn't end well at all, for Belle.

But that wasn't something to focus on right now, there was another issue for Regina. She had spoken to Mary Margaret before, about the bean field and what they were planning to do with it. They wanted to return to the Enchanted Forest, but they wanted to either leave Regina here or leave her to live in Gold's old cell. As though Regina would allow either to happen. She had to speak to Emma about asking Henry to do a little digging for them, whenever Regina came to speak to him, to see if Regina might know what the others were planning. The second Regina knew they were considering that, she knew the woman would preemptively strike and it would just make a world of a mess for them all.

She entered the diner and paused, seeing Emma and Tamara were both kneeling on the ground, Emma seeming to help Tamara pick up some things that she had dropped when the woman had gotten some to-go food.

"Still hates mayo, huh?" Emma was asking.

"Avoids it like the plague," Tamara nodded, taking a piece of paper from Emma and putting it in her purse.

Piper eyed the woman a moment longer before she glanced to the side and slid into a booth to watch without being too obvious

"How are you doing here in Storybrooke?" Emma continued, "I mean, it's a lot to take in."

"Understatement," Tamara laughed, "But, uh, I guess you know that better than anyone."

"Yeah, I guess it's true. But I had Henry. He got me through it."

"Yeah. Right. Neal's doing the same for me."

"Even so, it's pretty crazy here," Emma shifted a moment, eyeing Tamara cautiously, "If the world found out about this place, do you know what that would mean for Henry or Neal?"

"Look, Emma," Tamara sighed, "You don't have to worry. You can trust me."

Piper snorted at that, hiding a grin as she saw Emma stiffen, clearly having heard her, but it appeared Tamara hadn't, "That's good to know," Emma offered.

"I'll be seeing you later," Tamara smiled, heading for the door.

"Yeah, I'll be seeing you," Emma turned to watch her go, before her gaze drifted to Piper in the booth, "Could you be any louder?" she asked, making her way over and sliding into the booth.

"Yes," Piper remarked, smirking as Emma rolled her eyes, "I can also be quite quiet. Can you?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded, knowing that Piper hadn't wanted to meet to talk about the weather, "What did you want to talk about?"

"You know about the beans and the plan for Regina?" she wanted to ask, not sure if Mary Margaret might have told Emma between telling her and now, Emma nodded, "Well, I also need to speak with you about Tamara."

"What about her?" Emma frowned, but it wasn't one of denial or defense, it was one of caution, like she didn't want to say something till she knew where this was headed.

"The night that August…became Pinocchio," she swallowed, "I was in his room at Granny's…I heard Tamara and Greg's songs in the hall and went to look through the peephole. They were kissing in Greg's room."

"WHAT!?" Emma shouted.

"So much for quiet," Piper stated dryly.

"They were what!?" Emma hissed, more quietly this time.

"Kissing," Piper repeated, "May have gone one to do something more once the door closed, but they most certainly know each other and she is most certainly cheating on Baelfire."

"I knew it," Emma muttered, "There was something bothering me about her. And now I know what, she was the 'her' on Greg's phone, the 'she' that August was trying to warn us about! It has to be."

"Where are you going?" Piper frowned as Emma stood and grabbed her red leather jacket to put on.

"Gotta talk to Mary Margaret, they have to have some idea of what to do."

"I doubt Snow will be of much help," Piper stood, clearly intent to go with her, "I can nearly guarantee you she will not believe us."

"Yeah, well, if she's all about family, if she's really my mom, she'll have to believe in me," Emma determined, striding out of the diner with Piper after her.

~8~

Piper was sitting on a stool of Mary Margaret's apartment, a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon in her hand as she absently moved side to side on it, watching as Emma tried to convince Mary Margaret that Tamara was a threat, "I'm telling you, Tamara is the 'she' August was trying to warn us about!"

Mary Margaret glanced over at Piper about the mention of August before focusing on her daughter, "Emma! Shh!"

"What?" Emma scoffed, "Don't 'Emma' me! And don't shush me either, Piper was the one who first got me thinking it was her in the first place!"

"I do believe, Emma, she was shushing you because Henry is upstairs," Piper cut in, glancing at her cousin, "Yes?"

"Yes," Mary Margaret sighed, "Look," she looked between the both of them, "I know this has been hard for you…"

"Snow, do forgive me," Piper cut in, "But until you raise a child and then have said child forget you, you have no idea how hard any of it is."

Mary Margaret winced at that, she wanted to say she could understand though, because Emma didn't know who she or David were for 28 years, but it was different in never knowing than it was in forgetting.

"And this isn't about me or her," Emma agreed, "This is about August. He died trying to warn us about someone. A woman. 'She.' Tamara has a list of people who live here, what their fairytale names are. Doesn't that worry you?"

"There could be a million different explanations for what you saw," Mary Margaret tried to justify it.

"Name one that would justify her kissing Greg?" Piper challenged, "Name one reason for her to cheat on her fiancé and kiss another man."

"Maybe he…he was choking?" Mary Margaret offered lamely, knowing even that sounded far fetched in her head, "And she was trying to do the Heimlich?"

"CPR is the kiss of life Snow," Piper reminded.

"Well maybe it was that then."

"We don't know anything about her," Emma cut in this time, "And she lied to me. When she said I could trust her, she _lied_."

"Your 'superpower' has been known to be unreliable, Emma," Mary Margaret sighed, "Especially when you're emotional."

"For the last time, I do not have feelings for Neal!" Emma shouted, making Mary Margaret wince, all of them knowing that Henry likely heard that one…though only one of them knew just how much he'd been hearing, "That was over a decade ago! I'm over it!"

"I was apart from Rummy for 28 years," Piper offered, "I was never over him. Shall never be I suspect."

"That's different," Emma rolled her eyes, "You didn't part with him betraying you and getting you thrown in jail to have a baby alone!"

"Well, in that case, why would you care at all what happens to him?"

"Because he's Henry's father!"

"And you, Snow," Piper turned her gaze on Mary Margaret, "Are Emma's mother. You are one of the greatest believers, try believing in your daughter."

"Look, I DO believe you Emma," Mary Margaret turned to her daughter, "I do. But if you tell Henry that you think his dad's fiancée may be up to something, then Henry's gonna think that there's a chance his parents could get back together," she gave Emma a meaningful look and Emma knew that she was right about that at least, "So keep it to yourself. Please. Till you know something more," she looked at them both, "Till you both know more, it's like when Regina framed me. We need proof," she gave them one more look before leaving.

Emma let out a long breath as Mary Margaret left the apartment and rubbed her head before moving to sit on the stool next to Piper, "What do you think?" she asked.

"I think…what do you want to call this operation Henry?" Piper called out, looking up where Henry moved to peek his head down at them from the loft above them.

"We're back in business?" Henry grinned.

"How much did you hear?" Emma frowned at him, shocked.

"I would suspect quite a bit," Piper laughed at her expression.

"Like…everything," Henry shrugged, coming down to them.

"I thought you were in the shower!" Emma pointed at him as though accusing him.

"Exactly," Henry grinned smugly.

Emma turned to Piper, "And, let me guess, you knew he was right there?"

"Yes," Piper nodded.

"This entire time?"

"Yes."

"And said nothing."

"Yes," Piper laughed, "I have told you numerous times before Emma, do not keep things from your son, and do not lie to him. I have adopted that mentality and…"

"And look how well that one turned out for your own son," Emma muttered bitterly, stiffening as she instantly regretted saying that given what happened to August.

"Mom!" Henry cried, gaping at her that she'd say something like that.

Piper took a breath, her lips pursing which made Emma flinch to see, knowing that she did it when she was unhappy, "I am going to ignore that remark for Henry's sake and leave it up to you being over emotional that it IS Baelfire that is in danger," she gave Emma a pointed and very warning look.

"Yeah," Emma swallowed hard, nodding, "It's…it's that," she admitted finally.

Yes, she was worried about Neal. Even after everything he did to her, he…he had made her happy once upon a time. He had given her Henry. His actions had led to her being in Storybrooke when she was and…despite all that, she did care about him even if she was trying desperately to convince herself it was solely because he was Henry's father. She may be angry with him, hurt, feel betrayed at times, but she didn't want him dead or harmed, which, to be honest, she couldn't exactly say Tamara wouldn't do to him given they knew nothing about her.

"Operation Cobra's back on," Henry nodded, "We're investigating Tamara, right?"

Emma sighed, "Get your coat."

Henry beamed at that, at how she hadn't even bothered to tell him to stay there, that SHE and Piper would investigate, but that she was allowing him to come along.

Piper smiled sadly as she watched him run off to get it, she could remember when August was that young, when he'd wanted to go with her to explore every new area for their families. She would keep him safe, in a way she couldn't with August. She would protect her family if it was the last thing she did, she would make sure that whatever Tamara was up to never saw the light of day.

Because, while she knew Emma was worried for Neal in the sense that he was an old love and Henry's father, SHE was worried for the same reasons but also…

He was her true love's son.

And for that, she would protect him no matter what.

~8~

"Operation Cobra was about breaking the curse," Henry spoke as he sat in the backseat of Emma's yellow bug, Piper in the front seat beside Emma, the three of them staking out he bed and breakfast that Neal had rented in, "This is about keeping Storybrooke secret. We need a new name."

"Operation Tiger," Emma offered.

"Tiger?" Piper snorted.

"Why?" even Henry frowned at that.

"I need a why?" Emma glanced at Henry, "You never need a why."

"I want something like the town," Henry mused, "Something that hides in plain sight…"

"Chameleon?" Piper offered, starting to list animals she knew that did that, "Praying Mantis…"

"Ooh yeah!" Henry grinned, "Praying mantis," he turned to look at Emma, to ask what she thought, when he spotted something out the window, "Duck!"

The three of them ducked down but Emma peered up again, "No, it's not them."

"Stakeouts are fun," Henry grinned.

"I have never been on one before," Piper remarked, "Is it always like this?"

"Not usually," Emma muttered, glancing at Henry with a small smile on her face, "But this one? Yeah, kinda is fun."

"I thought by now we'd be having adventures," Henry sighed, "Over there, you know? Riding horses, shooting bow and arrows…" he trailed off when he saw that Emma was silent, "This is cool, too."

"You should tell him, Emma," Piper turned to her, realizing that no one had told Henry.

"Tell me what?" Henry frowned, looking at Emma who hesitated.

"You wish for trust, it comes from truth," Piper told her wisely.

Emma sighed, "Is that still something you want?" she turned to Henry as Piper kept her eyes on the building, "I mean, if there was a way to go back to the enchanted forest?"

"Is there?" Henry asked cautiously.

She swallowed, "There is. A way back. A bean or something."

"The giant brought it, didn't he?" Henry guessed.

Emma smiled, "You are a smart kid."

"That's awesome!" Henry exclaimed, "We could get, like, a castle, you, me, and Neal. No offense Piper but you and the grandparents can come visit and…"

"Oh, hey, whoa," Emma cut in, her eyes widening, "No way. That…we're not…that's not…"

"There!" Piper cut in, pointing at the building as they ducked down, Emma peeking up to see Neal and Tamara walking off down the block.

"Operation Praying Mantis is on," Henry grinned.

"Come on Henry," Piper got out of the car after Emma, helping Henry out as well as the three of them made their way towards the inn, heading up to Neal's room.

Emma looked up and down the hall and moved to the door, crouching down to start picking the lock as Piper stood to the side with an arm around Henry, "Hang on," she murmured, "I almost got it."

"So…once we find proof that Tamara's evil, I guess the wedding's off?" Henry asked hopefully.

"Henry," Emma sighed, "Neal and I are not getting back together," she glanced at her son, "You know that, right?"

"I mean, once he's single, it could happen," Henry tried, "Thrown together, moonlight, wine…"

"Henry," Piper spoke up, seeing Emma growing uncomfortable, "Not all people can be easily swayed by something like that."

"Well, then…YOU could play something right?" he turned to her, "Something romantic so that they fall in love and…"

"Magic cannot create love," Piper told him, "Not like that. It can imitate it, it can trick you, but it would never be true love."

"Well then how do we do it?" he asked her, "How do people just…fall in love?"

"I…am not certain I am the best person to tell you how that happens Henry."

He frowned, "Why not?"

"Because I very much doubt that the um…heroes, like your mother and father are, would have fallen in love the same way I did."

"And how was that?"

"Thinking that red looks good with gold."

"What?"

"Gold scales, red blood…" Piper shrugged, "Rummy was in the middle of torturing someone at the time."

"Oh," Henry grimaced at that, "Yeah…I don't think heroes fall in love like that."

"Listen to me, Henry," Emma turned to him, taking his hands and making him look at her, "I am onto Tamara for other reasons, not because she's with Neal, ok?"

Henry sighed but nodded, "Ok."

"Good, now…" Emma stood up, "Piper and I will check the room, "You gotta be the lookout."

"But what do I do? Whistle?"

"I would hear it," Piper offered.

"Ok," Emma nodded, sending Henry down the hall as she turned and opened the door to the room, she and Piper starting to look around for something, anything that was out of the ordinary in a town full of fairytale characters.

Piper frowned as she made her way over to a stack of papers on one of the tables, one of the labels read 'corporate' on it but just as she moved to open it, she stiffened, "Henry's whistling!" she turned around to see Emma kneeling on the ground, trying to pry open a loose floor board and rushed over to help her…right when the door opened.

"Emma!" Neal frowned, standing there.

"Hey…" Emma began hesitantly, "So you weren't here, and the door was open, and we just…"

"Emma," Neal shook his head, cutting off her explanation, "What's…what's this about?"

"Tamara," Piper stood, "We have reason to believe she is using you."

"Using me?" he scoffed, "How?"

"I think she's the 'she' August was trying to warn us about," Emma offered, getting up as well, "I didn't wanna tell you until I had proof."

"Oh, ok, yeah," he rolled his eyes, "Well, as long as you broke into our room to spare my feelings. Are you out of your mind?!" he shouted.

"He warned us about a woman!" Emma argued.

"Yeah, which covers half the world."

"She lied to me," she tried again, "Remember I had that thing, with lies?"

"You _thought_ you had a thing with lies," Neal shook his head, "I never bought it."

"Yeah, you did," Emma countered before sighing, "Listen to me, Neal. She's got a list of fairytale characters and who they are. Whoever she's gonna give that to that could blow this whole town right open."

"Emma, I helped her make that list," he told her, "It was to help her come to grips with this place. It's not easy, you know? I mean, she's trying to deal with it for me."

"Yes, she is her for you so much that she was kissing another man while you were in the shower," Piper countered.

"What?" Neal looked at her like she'd punched him before shaking his head, "No, no, that's got my father written all over it. Did he tell you to say that? Huh?"

"No," Piper stated, "I saw it, Baelfire…"

"Neal!" he huffed, "And I should believe you why? My father's lied to me before and you're his true love, I can't expect any less from you," he nearly sneered at her which did little to intimidate or bother her, just made her roll her eyes.

She was the Pied Piper, she was used to people not trusting her.

"Ok," Emma cut in, "I know what this looks like, but it isn't that. Do I look like a jealous ex?" she threw her arms out, only to roll her eyes as he gave her a look, "Ok," she sighed, "Maybe I'm crazy. But let's find out," she offered, "There's a floorboard loose. It shouldn't be. So let's look under it. If there's nothing there, fine. I back off. Ok?"

Neal considered it a moment before nodding, "Yeah, sure. What the hell?"

Emma nodded and crouched down, moving to work on it, glancing up at them, "A little help?"

Neal looked at Piper who just motioned to her dangling arm, "Oh," he nodded, "Right," and cleared his throat, crouching down to help Emma pry the board loose.

Emma reached down, fished around…but there was nothing, "Oh."

"Listen," Neal sighed as he moved to put the floorboard back, "I know Tamara being here is a little awkward…"

"Don't," Emma got up and headed for the door, opening it to see Henry on the other side, "Henry, let's go," and hurried down the hall.

Piper looked back at Neal, "You are important to your father, you know," she began, "Makes you equally so to me, as important as Emma is. I would not do anything to harm either of you. So next time you feel I am lying to you. Consider that first," and with that she turned to go after Emma.

"You know, I believe you about Tamara," Henry was saying as she caught up to them at the staircase.

"You should, 'cause I'm right," Emma nodded.

"All we have to do is prove it then," Piper added, moving to fish her phone from her pocket as it began to ring, "And then we can all return home…" she trailed off when she saw the text message that Mary Margaret had sent her.

"What is it now?" Emma frowned, seeing her expression.

Piper looked up at them, "The beans are gone," she told them, "Someone has burned the entire field."

A/N: I'm sorry this was late :( It was actually edited and ready to go earlier this morning, working my way back up to my normal posting hours. But I woke up to find that my mother had decided, the best way to get me to go get my hair done, would be to cut it while I was sleeping :( Even though it was an inch or two and a pretty straight cut (if slightly uneven) it was still upsetting and then having to go to a salon to get it fixed was another joy :( I just got back now and I'm currently not speaking to my mother for a short while, till she apologizes but I wanted to get the chapter up :)

I hope you liked the confrontation with Belle at the beginning :) She won't be a major threat to the Dark Rose pairing but she'll be popping up and trying to sneak her way in there, but Piper will not be having that ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Robin will live yup :) But...I can say that Piper and Rumple did catch up to him in the forest. We'll have to wait till the next story to see what they did to him }:)

Nope, Marian being pregnant had nothing to do with it, she genuinely wanted them both to be afraid as the Dark One hunted them down to make it more enjoyable for Rumple }:) Oh there's plenty more Hook abuse to come, Piper will not like him ;) And we'll definitely see a little of David starting to trust Piper and defend her, but that might be a while to come though ;)


	40. Deals and Revenge

Deals and Revenge

Piper had a soft smile on her face as she walked through the forest with Rumpelstiltskin beside her. Her arm was tucked in his and he was regaling her with a tale of some deal he'd made in the past and how the man had ended up being some sort of lady's man as a result, some Don fellow. He was giggling at the twist in the tale. The Don…something had made a deal that he would be able to seduce any woman…and, of course, was not as specific on the details after that fact. So Rumpelstiltskin had added his own twist to the deal, that the man could lure any woman into his bed…but that was as far as the enjoyment for both parties went. The women tended to leave highly unsatisfied and rather irritated.

She…liked this, how they walked and talked. It wasn't exactly new, but it was different. More often than not Rumpelstiltskin would poof them somewhere in a swirl of magic or, in the other cases where they would walk somewhere, they would merely be side by side. But recently, it seemed even against Rumpelstiltskin's awareness, he had begun to take her arm and lock it in his own as they would walk. She truly didn't even think he realized that he was doing it but she wasn't about to say anything against it. She was rather enjoying it.

"I should have liked to meet this man," she remarked as they continued on, her other hand absently grasping the edge of her shadow-made cloak as they went, her hood down for once.

This was a section of the forest where there wasn't a large threat of the Queen's knights roaming through and…she felt safer with Rumpelstiltskin right beside her to keep her hood down, just this once. It was a rare occurrence that she would put her hood down even when he was there but…she was in a lighter mood today.

Or she was trying to be.

She was fooling herself, attempting to do so rather terribly though.

It was a…rather unique situation she had found herself in and the place they were heading made it infinitely more complex. The small town of Derba had recently found themselves infested with fleas, of all things, and required her help in ridding the town of them. The children were suffering they said, the elderly were growing ill they said, please help us they said. All of them completely forgetting, or perhaps not even remembering, that she had been there before.

She hadn't been the Pied Piper then but…Derba was where she had gotten her start, it was where she had made the conscious decision of how she should use her magic, it was when she had chose the course her life would take. It was the last place she had ever felt the idiotic notion that people were inherently good. Oh her cousin would go on and on, if she had heard that new thought, that people WERE inherently good, that everyone started off good and were merely made evil. Her experiences in Berba had proven otherwise, sometimes there were people who were just truly despicable and loathsome and evil that had no cause or reason to be such.

That was where her last faith in the goodness of others had been shattered and where her heart had truly hardened to the point of becoming what she was now, the Piper that brought nightmares to others.

So it was a…difficult journey to make and, even though she knew that Rumpelstiltskin had business to attend elsewhere and would disappear in a swirl of magic when they were close enough, she was thankful that he was accompanying her as he was for the moment. The town was another client, but it was a town that had caused her much duress in the past. It was a town she could now get revenge on if so she wished, but a town she did not truly want to step back into. It was a town where she had dealt with the men, with the ones that had given her the scars on her thigh, but also a town where she didn't want to be anywhere near them again despite them having been locked away from her magic-induced madness.

She was trying to seem lighter than she felt, trying to make it seem like this town didn't bother her…when it truly did. She knew she was likely not fooling him, nor was she fooling herself either. She was not looking forward to going to this town, but it had to be done. Perhaps she would…try…and force herself to see the men before she left, the ones curled up in the madhouse at that very moment, see how they were suffering and perhaps, if she was feeling kind, put them out of their misery.

She did genuinely smile at that, as though she would ever be kind to them.

"What for dearie?" Rumpelstiltskin looked at her, pulling her from her thoughts, reminding her she had actually been speaking with him as they walked.

"To see the look on his face when he failed to, what was it, seduce me," she smirked.

"You think you could resist him?" he asked, not entirely sure why his grip on her arm tightened slightly, as though he were trying to tuck it further into his arm, keep her closer, at the thought of the man trying to seduce her.

"Everything is controlled by the mind," she reasoned, "My mind is protected against such enchantments. It would take…a very specific spell with very specific ingredients, I would imagine, to be able to affect my mind."

He giggled at that, "Yes the look on his face would have been quite exceptional," he mimicked an open gaping of shock before he grinned. His grin slowly fell however when he saw her own smile was slightly strained, "What is it dearie? You're quite the quiet company today."

"It is nothing," Piper remarked as the town came into view, down a small hill, making her smile fall entirely.

Rumpelstiltskin frowned and turned her to face him, keeping his one arm locked in hers as he used his free arm to lift her chin, "I don't appreciate lies, dearie."

"I do not appreciate prying either," she countered before sighing, "This is…not my first time in this town."

"Is it?" he blinked, trying to think of the place she'd gone since she's started their deal, the places she'd done deals with before. Many of the towns had whispers, even before she'd joined him, of when the Piper had come and…he couldn't recall her ever being in this town before for a deal.

"This is the first deal with them," she added, knowing where his mind had gone, trying to recall what manner of pest or nuisance she had removed from it last time.

"Just a causal traveler before?" he smirked, trying to be playful, trying to make her smile just once more before she left him for the town, "Or perhaps home town?" he teased, wanting to know, she was so…careful about the details she gave of her life before she suddenly seemed to appear as the Piper.

"Had it been they would all be dead," she bit out bitterly, her eyes narrowing at the town.

He blinked and looked at her, frowning, actually feeling…concerned for her, for what the town meant to her. Clearly this was not a town that held fond memories for her, and that fact…bothered him. He knew of Hamelin, ooh the devastation she'd brought to them, the torment of stealing their children, the torture of not knowing what had happened to their beloved mayor, the sight of the man's head on a pike and the realization that the man had been torn apart so thoroughly that his remains were scattered around the length of their town? That was exquisite! THAT was what had made him even more eager to keep her around, knowing she was capable of something like that, of such a brutal retribution against a slight.

She was like him, very much so. It reminded him of when that thief, Robin Hood, had come into his home and stolen a wand from him. HE had raged against it, had tortured the man, had fully intended to skin him alive and leave his remains in his beloved forest, as an example to others to not dare steal from him again. Piper was the same, one man dared not pay her the agreed upon sum and she took matters into her own hands. They broke a deal with her, they suffered the consequences. And the way she'd done it, ooh, it made him shiver to think of having someone like her working with him. She had made the town tear their mayor apart, and they had no idea. To wake the next morning, to forever wonder what they'd done, to be haunted by nightmares and never know if it was real or a dream? What perfect vengeance.

But this town…this town was clearly still standing, this town was a first for her to make a deal, and…this town was somewhere she did not want to be. So it had to mean that whatever it was that this town meant to her, it had happened before she had become the Piper. No one would have dared harm her if they knew who she was.

But what had happened.

"Something you care to share?" he asked.

She let out a long breath, "Not at the moment, no," she glanced at him, "See to your deal with the Queen," she didn't quite order him but it was clear she wanted him to let her do this on her own, "Bankrupt George even more."

She knew that the royal coffers had been filled, she had warned him of that when she'd joined him, how James had stolen from the giants, taken enough to set the kingdom for many years if all went well…and if James could keep himself from gambling. Only one of them was going to plan, the trade routes were still open, the kingdom was still making money, the coffers being filled only meant it would take James longer to bankrupt them again. And that had to be dealt with.

She knew that he was going to visit the Queen, get her to suspend trade with the man to make him desperate. For some reason he wanted a sort of alliance between George and Midas, perhaps a marriage between their children. She didn't know the details of it, but then again, he didn't know the full details of her time in George's kingdom. One day she would tell him how much she wanted to kill James, maybe he would let her if it fit with his plans.

"Let me see to this town," she continued, "And return when you have finished, fleas are tricky. They should take nearly the entire day. Time enough for you to deal with the Evil Queen?"

He hummed, his eyes on her, but he nodded, "Should be."

"Then I shall see you when we are both finished," she gave him a small nod and began to head for the town, Rumpelstiltskin watching her go with a frown on her face at how rigid and straight her back had become, as though she were trying to face something she'd rather not.

~8~

Rumpelstiltskin stood to the side, in the shadows, watching as Piper stood before the leader of the town, an elderly man that was partially hunched over on a walking stick. It appeared that she was finishing up her deal and he was just in time to catch the end of it. He hadn't quite witnessed a deal of hers taking place from the start and seen all the way through but he had caught a majority of it. It turned out his own deal with the Queen had been rather easy to be seen. The Queen herself was desperate herself and had agreed to anything to get what she wanted.

She was confused, it appeared, as to why her kingdom was rebelling so seriously against her, why they were favoring Snow White and helping her. She had spread rumors that Snow had been the one to kill her father, the King, that she had been greedy for the throne. The kingdom didn't seem to believe that and she wanted to know why. She was sure that Snow was among them and that she was spreading dissent. So she'd been ready and willing to make a deal with him, to change her appearance so that she could go among the people and see what they truly thought and not be recognized, to learn what they felt about her and to try and convince them, as one of them, that Snow was to blame for all of this.

Oh he knew she'd gotten into a bit of trouble, he could hear her calling out for him, fearful and desperate, without her magic in her hidden form. She had angered the people by 'supporting' the Queen, for defending her and had angered the guards in a mistaken move. He giggled when he realized that she had just discovered the dummies that the people set up with a big black heart pinned to them that many others were taking turns throwing knives at, claiming the dummy was the queen. She'd stopped them but the knights, her own Black Knights, had seen her holding one of the throwing daggers and had assumed she'd taken part in it. Anyone caught doing such a thing was an automatic execution.

She had cried out his name, begging him to come help her, to reveal her to be the queen…but watching a horde of fleas leave a town and following a stunning woman with golden hair and music that was so alluring was far more fascinating than moving to go and help the Queen. The Queen could handle herself and she had gotten herself into that mess, she could get herself out. Ooh and he knew that Snow White really was lurking around the people, she would no sooner watch someone executed than stop herself breathing. SHE would rescue the Queen and he could sit there at the top of the little hill and watch Piper do what she did best, charm all around her with her music.

He was quite disheartened that he'd missed the beginning of her deal, he was rather eager to see how she dealt with people, how she managed to get them to a price she wished, what her terms were, how she held herself and spoke to them. He could guess, he thought about it often, how she had made that deal with him. She knew exactly what she wanted and she knew what she could offer, he could admit that, despite his best (if stunned) efforts, SHE had been in control of their deal from the beginning. SHE was the one who had set the terms and he had been left with accepting or not. That was a first, besides for the Queen, not many came to him knowing exactly what they wanted and what they'd offer, most would just ask if he could do something and then offered anything (quite foolish of them) and then be surprised when, later, he came for their firstborn or for a limb. Piper hadn't fallen into that trap and it had been the sign of a true dealmaker that she knew what to offer and to only offer what SHE wanted.

But still, to see her in action was enough for him. Even though her music wasn't directed AT him, nor at the people of the town but at the fleas that followed her, swarming so close together and piling so high onto each other that they could actually be SEEN, he could still feel the music. He could feel her magic and, if he didn't know any better, he would have sworn she was a siren of some sort. Her magic was…delicious, he could feel it around him, swarming him, every time she played her music even if it wasn't in the purpose of using her magic on him. It surrounded him, it pulsed within him, he could smell it, taste it, he could swear it was so thick he could almost touch it. And he rather enjoyed the sensation of it, it was soothing, captivating, and mystifying in a way that made him want to know not just more about it but about her, how she was able to create such magic.

Yet at the same time he almost didn't care how she did it so long a she continued to make it. It was just…fascinating. SHE was fascinating.

"The fleas have been dealt with," Piper stated to the elder, pulling Rumpelstiltskin's attention back to her, "They shall not return."

"How can we be certain?" one of the men standing beside the elder asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her with clear distrust.

"I can do to you what I did to the fleas if that would reassure you," Piper countered, the hint of a threat in her voice, "I can promise you though, it shall be most unpleasant."

"What…did you do to them?" the elder asked.

"My preferred method is to drown the animals," Piper shrugged, "This time, however, they were small enough where a fire was just as well to be used."

"You…burned them?"

"I led them to a campfire and they eagerly leapt into the flames," she smirked, her gaze flickering to the other man, "Would you care to be the next demonstration?" she held her pipe up, waving it lightly back and forth.

"No," the man swallowed hard, taking a step back, "We…we tried the same method, could never get all of them."

"And that is, I believe, why you sought me out," she reminded them, "Now I shall be on my way and leave you to your town once my payment has been received," she held her hand out to the elder.

The older man sighed and pulled a small pouch off his belt, holding it out to her in hands shaking with old age, "8 silver pieces," he told her, "As requested."

She opened the pouch and examined the coins before nodding, "Many thanks," she turned and started to leave when the second man called out to her.

"Are you certain you have not helped us before?" he asked, a question, if Piper's expression was anything to go on, he had asked many times since she had arrived.

"I can guarantee," she began, not turning around, "Help was the last thing I gave you."

The men shifted in discomfort but watched as she continued to walk away.

"Care to walk with me?" she glanced right at Rumpelstiltskin as she passed him, a smirk on her face as he seemed almost startled she'd seen him when he'd been keeping himself invisible.

He giggled though, having forgotten that she, apparently could hear his song, the 'song of his soul' she'd called it, and she knew he was there. So he hopped over to her side, the two of them walking out of the town though the people only saw her leaving.

"8 silver pieces?" he hummed, "Seems a bit cheap."

"Yes well," she admitted it was rather low, "I was rather eager to leave."

He stopped just outside the town and turned to her, frowning at that. For something to have disturbed her about this town so badly that she was willing to cut her costs just to get out sooner…it could not be good, "What happened here Piper?" he asked her directly.

She sighed, "Do you see that building?" she pointed to a slightly large house, a bit bigger than the normal ones, "That is the madhouse. That is where they ended up."

"Where WHO ended up?" he turned to her.

She took a breath, "The ones who gave me the scars on my thigh."

He blinked, "THIS was the town that you were attacked in?"

"Attacked," she murmured, thinking of the word, "Is one way to put it."

She turned to go, but Rumpelstiltskin grabbed her hand gently, "What did they do to you?" he demanded, just barely managing to keep his teeth from being bared.

"They wanted more than what I was willing to give," she answered, her voice flat, "They wanted my pipe, they wanted my money, they wanted a fight," she shrugged, "They fought me, with fists and kicks and whatever they could grab. Because I was small and I was weak and they thought that they could harm me, were unhappy that I had no money to give and was too 'unappealing' to be of use in other manners. They struck me and beat me and…" she shook her head, looking back at the town, her gaze distant, "Something snapped when they stabbed me," her gaze returned to him, "I fought back, and I have not stopped fighting since."

He frowned and blinked as she turned and walked off without him, his attention turning to the town as he felt his hands curl into fists.

~8~

The madhouse was dark, which was to be expected as it was night out, not even a moon to be seen in the sky. It was locked as well, which was to be expected as the men within could be rather dangerous if they were set free. That was the reason they were there, some were docile, some were feeble, some were aggressive but they were all a danger to others in some way, a danger to themselves. Even the maddest of them, even the most 'gentle' could mistake poison for water or stumble into the path of a horse and be trampled, wander to the rivers and drown or take others with them. They had to be kept there so that they harmed none and harmed not themselves either. The men were even kept in separate rooms so as to not harm each other...

No one ever considered that harm would be brought TO them in this house instead.

Rumpelstiltskin stepped into the house, not a sound coming from him even as he broke through the locks. Oh he could have just poofed himself in there but there was something so satisfactory about breaking into a building, about picking a lock or even magically unlocking it that was much more fun. The people always thought they were safe with locks in place, to poof in was just to appear, but to break a lock meant to break that feeling of safety and that was what he wanted. Right now…he wanted no one in that building to feel safe, least of all the three people he had come for.

He had finally gotten Piper to tell him what had happened in that town, how it had birthed the Piper that she was now. She had been alone, wandering, poor and wretched with only her pipe to her name. With only a small bag around her that held barely anything that she'd stolen from a rubbish heap and mended herself. She had not fallen so far as to beg for food nor to beg for shelter. She hadn't even been planning to remain in that town but just pass through. She had underestimated the distance to travel though and had reached the town later than expected. She had ended up curled up on the street one night, trying to sleep. It was warmer out, thankfully, the summer months having set in so she hadn't had to worry about dying of cold.

But she had something else to worry about when three men had seen her and grabbed her, had demanded money of her and had manhandled her. She was too small and grimy and dirty for even their tastes to even consider trying to take something else from her. But they had tried to take her pipe and she had struggled not to let it go. They could have anything else but NOT her pipe, the pipe he now knew her cousin had given her, the last thing she had from the woman. The men hadn't been pleased with her struggling, had thought they could fetch a good price for the piece of hollow wood, and had started to beat her to try and pry it from her fingers. They each had a knife on them, some sort of craftsman or fisherman or weaver or something in the town and one had sliced her thigh, thinking the pain would be enough to get her to let go of the pipe. They'd been wrong, but they saw it was weakening her so the others had tried the same, creating terrible scars on her thigh.

One of them had then made the mistake of thinking that if they stabbed her there, THAT would be the last bit of distraction needed to get her to release and also to take care of her in the night, that she'd bleed out. She nearly had, she would have, had they not underestimated just how near to snapping she had been before they'd cornered her. Piper had let out a bitter scream, so shrill that it sent the men stumbling back in pain, covering their ears. Something had changed in her then, seeing them affected by her voice like that, by her magic. She'd used her pipe, used her song to drive the men to their knees, to create such a chaos and strain in their minds that they lost themselves in it. The chaos set in, the strain too much and they were left next to nothing but witless, mad fools in the street, babbling about the noises around them, just…shattered their minds with the power of her own magic.

She'd become the Piper after that, had realized she didn't have to cower or be afraid. She could use her magic on animals, make deals and if someone tried to harm her…she COULD defend herself. She didn't need a sword or a knife to do it, just her voice. No one would ever take advantage of her like that, would try and harm her, no…if anything SHE would harm them if they so much as tried. She would NOT be scared, she would not tremble, she would not show fear. She would see that from THEM.

But it wasn't enough for him. No. They had harmed his new partner and, even if it had been in the past, before even SHE had been the Piper, it was not going to stand, not with him. The men still lived, they still drew breath and so long as they did they could STILL harm Piper, this town had shaken her enough, knowing that the men were still there. She hadn't been strong enough then, hadn't been hardened enough to take the lives of the men. She'd told him that she'd run once they'd begun babbling, when others had come to see what the commotion was. It wasn't till she had left the town behind that she had realized what she could do and by then it was too late to return.

HE didn't have that same problem. He knew very well what he could do and he was going to see this through before the night was over. He made his way to the steps, to the second floor, peering through the holes in the doors with the bars on them, checking the men within, looking for the ones he needed. Piper couldn't remember what they looked like, it was too much of a blur, but he grinned when he realized he didn't need her to tell him that. Her magic left an imprint, a faint sort of mark on a person. He could always tell when an item was enchanted and who had done it, if he recognized the magic and he certainly recognized hers.

He stopped at the end of the hall, at the last three doors, one across from each other and another right beside it. He could feel it, Piper's magic. It was faint, faded with time, but still there. He uncurled his hands from the fists they'd turned into and waved his hands, opening the three doors.

He reached into his vest and pulled out his dagger, the Dagger of the Dark One, that had his name carved into the side of it. He lifted it, resting the tip of the blade to his chin, letting it tap against him as he thought about what to do, what the best way to handle this situation would be…before his grin turned dark and he made his way into the first room.

Come morning, he was certain, the keepers of the place would be quite horrified to find one body stabbed repeatedly in the thigh and the heart, another with its hands and head cut off, and the third slit from nose to navel with cuts along its wrists and neck. It would be a gruesome sight, he knew, and he was certain that Piper would wonder, for a brief moment, why there was fresh blood staining his clothes before she would get a small smile on her face as she worked out the truth of his late night disappearance. But it was worth it. They dared cut Piper, stab her, try to steal from her, try to beat her…

Well, they would never be able to do that again.

A/N: Rumple really seems to love dishing out revenge when people hurt Piper hmm? :) I can say that we'll see a chapter in the future of the travels Piper had before she became THE Piper and when she heard more about Rumpelstiltskin too ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Oh interesting doesn't begin to cover it lol :) My family is...I can't even think of the word lol :)

We'll have to wait and see what Piper thinks of Regina's torture ;)


	41. Second Star to the Right

Second Star to the Right

Neal was lying in his bed of Granny's Bed and Breakfast, slowly waking to the sound of Tamara moving around inside the room. He glanced at the clock beside him to see it was 6 in the morning and his fiancé was already dressed, ready to head out for a run.

"How about you sleep in just this once?" he mumbled to her, still half asleep.

"Marathon's in 3 weeks," she shook her head, reminding him of the event she'd been preparing for for ages, always making her leave early in the morning for a few hours on end, "I have to train."

"Come back to bed," he gave her a small smirk, "I'll give you a workout."

But Tamara shook her head, "I'll see you later," she leaned in, giving him a quick kiss goodbye before she jogged out of the room.

"Ok," Neal sighed, lying back down, "Bye!" he waved to the closed door and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep when he blinked awake and stared at the open window at the side of the room, hearing his father's voice outside…but another voice with it.

"No, no!" Piper's voice was laughing, "Kiss it."

"Pip…" his father tried to counter, making him get up.

"If you do not kiss it Rummy…" Piper began, "Then I shall be forced to deny you other kisses then."

He nearly grimaced, not sure if it was because of the idea of his father kissing someone (or being denied kisses) or if it was because the conversation was eerily similar to a memory from his childhood where his father had a man's head under his foot and was forcing the man to kiss his boot, threatening him that if he didn't kiss it he'd kick the man.

"Piper…" his father sighed.

"You started it Rummy," Piper actually laughed as he drew nearer to the window, "Turnabout is fair play."

"And where did you learn that one?" Gold chuckled.

"From you," he could see Piper smiling now, the two standing on the sidewalk just outside the Rabbit Hole, a local bar, across the street from the bed and breakfast, "Now kiss it."

He frowned and blinked as he watched his father reach up and lightly tug the fabric of Piper's light coat away from her shoulder, revealing her sleeveless top, kissing her bare shoulder. He nearly gaped at that tender gesture.

Piper smiled at him, "And now…" she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips as well, "We are even."

Gold chuckled at that and linked her arm with his, the two of them turning to head in the direction of the bed and breakfast, when Gold stopped at the corner, frowning down at the rather large puddle just off the curb. He watched as his father glanced at Piper and tugged his own jacket off, placing it down on the ground, over the small puddle and took her hand, allowing her to step on the jacket instead of the puddle. He picked it up and shook it out a moment, a puff of purple smoke cleaning the fabric from the moisture as he slipped it back on, walking across the street, earning another kiss and a soft 'many thanks' from Piper when they reached the other end.

Neal shook his head and hurried out of the room, grabbing a light jacket on the way, that was just…too weird. He knew his father had magic, he could have just poofed the puddle away but he had made a show of actually being a gentleman for Piper, even if he used magic on the coat afterwards, it was…jarring to him at least, that his father hadn't even tried to use his magic first but instead used it as an afterthought.

"What the hell was that?!" he nearly demanded as he stepped out of the bed and breakfast, just as his father and Piper reached his side of the street.

"We are taking a walk," Piper stated, a smile still on her face, one of the few she'd managed to make since August had been turned back into Pinocchio, it seemed like only Gold, Snow, and Henry could get one out of her, a genuine one.

Neal let out a breath and shook his head at his father, "I'm surprised you didn't just magic yourself across the street instead of walking."

"Contrary to your thoughts, Bae," Gold began, "I rather enjoy doing some things the, eh, old fashioned way," he grinned.

"Spinning, for example," Piper smiled, "Never ever saw you using your magic on your spinning wheel."

"Or the instruments," Gold reminded her with a soft smile, "No music I could enchant to play would be as enchanting as what you have done in the past Pip."

"Torture as well," Piper added, "You did prefer the feel of blood on your hands instead of watching it happen."

"Unless it was you," he tapped her nose, "Your preferred form of torment was always exquisite to watch…"

"Ok stop," Neal shook his head.

He was feeling just a little uneasy about how it had gone from something so sweet as to talking about music to an easy talk of torture…it was unsettling to see a woman that had raised a child talking so freely about torture and bleeding and things. It was…he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Looking at his father now…the man looked normal, he looked actually normal, as normal as he'd ever seen his father being. There he was, walking around town with a girl on his arm, perfectly at ease, hardly using his magic. And he seemed like a real person, like an average man just enjoying a walk. He seemed…better, than what he remembered, less power hungry, less ruthless. And then he opens his mouth and it's like he's balanced but worse. He appears normal but he's even darker than when he left. He had always been able to keep his father under control and he'd feared that when he'd been lost the man would lose it entirely, that there would be no one there to temper or control him. And there was Piper, there was a woman that could and did…but in doing so it was like he didn't see the darkness in him at all, like he thought it was ok. It was startling to see a woman that fit so well with his father, to know she was Emma's 'aunt' and that she was related to Snow White yet held such darkness. She made his father better but she was making him so much worse in his opinion.

He didn't like this at all, he didn't like Piper, how she encouraged him, how she seemed to enable him in what he wanted to do no matter how cruel and ruthless and terrible it was.

"You're unreal, you know that?" he continued, "You spend years looking for me. I come to town. You disappear. You haven't even bothered to meet Tamara. You got your…your…whatever she is…" he gestured at Piper who merely raised an eyebrow at that, "To make up lies about her…"

"What you believe to be a lie, I see as a truth," Gold defended her, "I have spent years looking for you Bae, yes. But I have had years with Pip and I know when she tells the truth and when she lies. Why should I concern myself with this…Tamara when she is not worthy of you?"

"I'm getting married to her!" Neal shouted.

"That's never gonna last," he chuckled darkly, "Not as long as you carry a torch for Emma."

Neal shook his head at the man, "You know, you haven't changed one bit. For a second, I thought you might have. I started to think, maybe you were worth my time. I guess I was wrong."

"And yet, you're still here," he held out his hand, gesturing around.

"For Henry," Neal countered, "Not you. As far as I'm concerned, you can stay the hell away from both of us."

Piper watched as Neal stormed away from them, "Like father like son," she murmured, Neal really was so much like his father, doing what he didn't want to do just for his son.

"Hardly," Gold scoffed, "I would have believed you Pip."

He had believed her, when she told him that she had seen his boy's fiancé kissing that man who had nearly run them over last night. He had believed her instantly. He'd wanted to go after the woman, to make her pay for hurting his boy like that. But Piper had reminded him that Neal didn't believe her, and if he went after Tamara without proof…Neal would hate him, truly hate him, for harming the woman he thought he loved without knowing what she was up to. She also reminded him that Greg would be more on guard if something happened to his partner and they needed to know what was going on with both of them.

He didn't like the fact that his boy would be more hurt as time went on, but he knew that for every drop of hurt that Tamara caused him, when he saw it in his boy's eyes when he realized the truth…for every single drop, her own blood would spill.

"Come," Piper squeezed his arm, "There must be something in your shop that will help him believe."

Gold sighed but nodded, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple as they walked on, not seeing Neal watching them go, the two walking down the streets as though they were the most ordinary of couples.

~8~

"Snow?" Piper looked up from where she and Gold were sifting through a binder of inventory of the items he had in his shop and home. It was something he had spent the last 28 years doing on and off, keeping a catalogue of what he had so that it would be easier to try and see what would be useful in other situations. They were currently discussing if a crystal ball or magic mirror would be best to show Neal the truth when Snow and Charming walked into the shop. She could tell instantly that something was very wrong though.

"Sorry to interrupt the party," David muttered, looking between the two of them.

"Well, I certainly don't remember inviting you two," Gold rolled his eyes, "We're closed."

Piper however shook her head, "Snow what has happened?" she frowned, "Is it Tamara?"

"Not you too," David groaned, thinking that Emma had gotten to her.

"For two of the largest believers in the land, you both fail miserably to believe in your own daughter, you DO realize this yes, Charming?" Piper shot back at him. She was really trying, for the sake of her cousin, to look past the fact that the man appeared so much like James. She knew they were different, but they were still siblings and they DID have some traits in common, their arrogance for once, both thought they were right and only THEY were right.

…but then again, that could just be men in general.

Though that wasn't always true, Gold was always willing to listen to her suggestions.

"We need your help," Mary Margaret turned to her, "Regina's missing and we think she may be in danger."

"Just the way I like her," Gold smirked, "Now if you'll excuse us, we have another woman to deal with…"

"No, I don't think so," David shook his head, "Whatever your feelings about Regina are, you owe us for everything you've done to this family."

"Do keep in mind, half of that was done with my blessing," Piper smirked as well.

"Rose," Mary Margaret turned to her, "Henry is really worried. We…we went to her office to see if she had taken the Beans. You got the text that someone burned the field and we thought it was her. So we went to check for evidence. Her office was unlocked, the alarm was overridden, the beans were missing and…"

"And, let me guess," Gold cut in, "You automatically assumed it was I that had done it?"

"Rummy was with me, Snow," Piper agreed.

"Whoever it was," David argued, "Took not only the beans but Regina too. Henry is afraid she's been hurt and he asked us to find her."

"Where is Emma?" Piper looked between them, "With Henry?"

"She went to check if it was Tamara," Mary Margaret told them.

Piper pursed her lips, "It is no coincidence that Greg and Tamara are both here," she reasoned, turning to Gold, "And I do not believe it is a coincidence that Tamara arrived the same day that August was harmed…"

"Emma thought the same," Mary Margaret agreed.

"August knew Bae," Piper continued, "And if he knew Tamara as well…Bae knew them both. It cannot be a coincidence. We may yet be able to kill two birds with one stone if we do find Tamara with Regina in her possession…"

Gold nodded at that, it would alleviate Neal's son's fear and also prove to Neal that Tamara was not to be trusted either, "I may have something…" he turned and began to look through one of the drawers behind him, knowing that they were all on the same page, they were only helping Regina because of Henry, "Ah," he grinned, pulling a small vial of a clear liquid out of a cabinet.

"What is that?" Mary Margaret frowned as Gold handed it over to Piper.

Piper pulled the topper off and carefully sniffed the liquid, looking at Gold to see him watching her with a small smirk, clearly expecting her to answer it, "Tears?" she guessed.

He nodded, smiling wider, "One of Regina's."

"Why do you have one of Regina's tears?" Mary Margaret shook her head.

Gold just shrugged, "Because I do. They're so easy to come by."

"I would not be so high and mighty Rummy," Piper gave him a playful smirk, "I had a tear from you within the first five minutes of meeting you," she reminded him, making him chuckle.

"We may just need your skills for this then Pip," he remarked, "This spell…requires _two_ tears."

Mary Margaret and David stiffened at that, "Whose?" she asked, shifting in discomfort.

"Mine," Piper spoke up as Gold moved to open his mouth, "If Tamara has taken her for a darker purpose than we think…I will not see her endure that," she told him, placing her good hand on his on the counter.

"Piper…" he shook his head.

"Rose," Mary Margaret frowned, getting a sinking feeling in her stomach, "I can do it."

Piper glanced at her, "This spell will allow me to see what she sees and feel what she feels," she said, "Rummy's done this once before with me," she added, "Anyone who would take Regina…it will not be for a good purpose Snow. I can handle this."

"You shouldn't HAVE to though," Mary Margaret reached out to touch her hand.

"Nor should you endure it," Piper countered, "My life has been made up of staggering moments of pain, Snow. I can handle this better than you can. And…I would not see you in pain for anything cousin."

Mary Margaret bit her lip and squeezed Piper's hand, "You've done this before?" she asked, just wanting to be sure she'd be ok, "And you weren't hurt?"

"Yes, and no," Piper answered, "I will be fine Snow. Rummy has never let anything truly harm me," she turned back to him, "He has always helped me, as I shall require your services again," she told him.

"Anything for you Pip," he smiled softly, "Just tell me how to draw that tear from you," he would have told her to think of a dark moment, something bleak and hopeless and fraught with despair…but he had made it his mission to never allow her to feel that and he was not about to drag her into that place solely to produce a tear.

"Shall I fetch an onion?" Mary Margaret tried to help.

Piper shook her head, "No, just…" she turned back to Gold, "Just keep looking at me Rummy," she told him, moving her hand from Mary Margaret's hold to his other hand.

She smiled as she saw him understand what she meant, the man staring deep into her eyes and she could see it. Everything he was laid bare to her, all his darkness and regret, his power and anger, his love and care…for HER. She always saw it when he looked at her, but moments like this, where he was so open and so focused, she could already feel the tear in her eye as she saw all the love he held for her reflected in his eyes. She saw all the promise he held that he would protect her, the desire to keep her happy, the love to see her cared for and the earnest way he felt for her, the acceptance in his eye was what did it.

She let out a little breath, feeling the tear creeping to her eye and saw him lift the vial just below it, catching it as it spilled from her.

"Perfect as always Pip," he breathed, reaching up to wipe the remnants of the tear away, shaking the vial up to mix the tears together. He turned, setting it down and moved to pull an eye dropper out.

"Wait," Mary Margaret nearly jumped, "What's going to happen?" she asked, if just to be prepared.

"When I drop this into Pip's eye," Gold began, "She will be connected to Regina wherever she is. Whatever she sees, Pip will see, whatever she feels, Pip'll feel as well."

"How long does the spell last?" David frowned, if this was true and someone was harming Regina…he may not be entirely comfortable around Piper but he was trying to accept her for his wife's sake. He wouldn't want to see her suffer even if she had caused him suffering in the past. He could admit, if he had a way to stop an attack coming at him, he would do what he could to stop it and he HAD been trying to attack her when she retaliated against him.

"Long enough to lead me to her," Piper sighed, reaching out to take the dropper from him.

"You don't have to do this, Rose," Mary Margaret watched as she dipped it into the vial, "You've been through so much already…"

"And a little more will not kill me," Piper shook her head, "Henry is family, and I will always do what I can to see him safe and happy. I have no further personal qualm with Regina," she added, "I killed her mother, as I planned, it is not in my hands to seek revenge for others."

If Mary Margaret wanted revenge for all that Regina had personally done to her, so be it, she would help. But she would not take it upon herself to see to it that the revenge was done without her cousin's blessing. Just like she would not seek revenge against the Blue Fairy solely for her true love's son being lost but instead for her own son being lost. If someone wished for help in revenge, she would give it, but her cousin wasn't the sort to want for revenge. And…Henry wanted Regina safe, she would see it happen, for Henry's sake alone. And besides…Tamara was her enemy as of kissing Greg and harming August, the enemy of my enemy was my friend, she believed…for the moment, and only for this moment, Regina was her ally against Tamara.

She very much doubted Regina would be pleased if Tamara or Greg were the ones who had taken her.

She took a breath and lifted the drop to her eye…nearly collapsing to her knees a moment later had she not slammed her hand onto the counter to support her and Gold leapt forward to keep her upright.

She bit her bottom lip, refraining from screaming at the pain coursing through her, not about to make her cousin worry more.

But Mary Margaret was already beside herself, "Rose!" she cried, rushing behind the counter with Gold as he slowly moved her to the back room to sit, David helping him.

"What is it?" David looked at Gold, "What's happening?"

"Rose?" Mary Margaret knelt before her, taking her hand as Piper closed her eyes to focus on what she was seeing, "Rose, are you ok?"

Piper took a deep breath, "Regina…her magic is restrained," she panted, "I can feel her trying to call it but it is failing her. She cannot fight back…and she is in pain. They are hurting her…"

"Who?"

"Greg and Tamara," she wheezed, "I can see them standing over her."

"Can you see where she is?" David asked.

"Her hands and legs are bound down…" Piper's face scrunched.

"Concentrate Pip," Gold murmured in her ear, at her side, his arms around her, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as he whispered into it.

"It is cold…I…hear…waves," she breathed, "I smell sardines," her eyes opened, "She is at the docks! Come," she got up to head out.

"No," Mary Margaret took her hand, "No just…just wait…"

"Snow, you said that Henry…"

"Emma's already at the beach," Mary Margaret explained, "She texted to say she and Neal were going to see if Tamara was there running. She might still be there. Just…just gives us a chance to call her so she can start looking. Take a minute to take a breath, ok?"

Piper swallowed hard but nodded, Gold moving beside her and offering her a tight hug. Even though she hadn't let on to her cousin about just how much pain Regina was experiencing, it was bad and it was powerful. He could see that, he always seemed to know what she was feeling even when she was her stoic, cold self. She supposed it was like how he always masked things with a giggle or a smirk, but she could always tell from how tightly he clutched his cane when things were bothering him. She could always tell from how tense she would get when something was upsetting her.

"I wonder if ripping out hearts of those not of the Enchanted Forest is possible," she murmured in his embrace.

Gold chuckled, "Shall we be the first to find out?" he looked at her, "I would rather enjoy the pleasure of seeing the strumpet's heart turn to dust in my hand for what she's doing to my boy."

"You take Tamara, but I want Mendell," she said, only a hint of a joke in her voice.

It wasn't even about the fact that they were torturing Regina, the woman had done the same to countless others in her life, tortured them, executed them, made examples of them. But so had they. If anyone came for them, they had their magic to fight with, they had their own defenses…what was being done to Regina was stripping her of her magic and ability to make it a 'fair' fight for her. But truly, it was more about Baelfire and how Tamara was in league with Greg, how this had been their plan the whole time and how they were using Gold's son to see it through. Only the smallest part of it was to do with Regina and saving her, for Henry's sake. Neither of them would have shed a tear if the woman died, but Henry would be devastated and so…they would help her in this instance.

"Not much," they could hear David say after a moment, "She could sense Regina was in pain. It was cold. She was strapped down. She said she could hear the waves and smell sardines. We know she's somewhere along the shore but…" he trailed off, hearing what Emma had to say, and looked over at the others, "She's in the cannery," he closed his phone and headed for the door.

Piper sighed and stepped away from Gold, "I shall be back soon," she told him.

They didn't know what Greg or Tamara were planning to do but it would be best not to have all the people with magic storm the place. If they could strip Regina of hers the last thing they needed was for them to strip Gold of his own. He gave her a begrudging nod, understanding the logic, not liking it at all, but understanding.

"I'll keep looking for something to help," he told her, "In case they manage to elude the Ms. Swan and Bae once more."

Piper nodded, leaning in to give him a quick kiss, a promise that she would make sure everything was fine, before she hurried out after her cousin.

~8~

They nearly ran into Emma and Neal, literally, when they reached the cannery where Emma had told them to meet her, partially scaring Emma half to death, "What the hell, guys?!" Emma gasped, before thrusting a radio into David's hand, "Here. So that doesn't happen again. Regina's gotta be here somewhere."

"She is," Piper remarked, "I can hear her…she is on a lower level though, the basement…"

"Can you hear anyone else?" Emma turned to her.

She nodded solemnly, "I can hear Greg and Tamara," she glanced at Neal who rolled his eyes, clearly not believing her, "Greg is with her but Tamara has moved. I doubt Greg will linger much longer."

"Right," Emma nodded, "You three take the basement, get Regina," she instructed, "We'll search the main floor for Tamara…"

"I would rather go with you, Emma," Piper spoke up.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Let me guess, because we're the kiddies?"

"Exactly," Piper nodded, "You are her daughter," she pointed at Emma and nodded at Mary Margaret, "And you are Rummy's son, therefore, as I am the only…actual adult," she blinked, that was rather odd, to realize she was truly older and appeared older than her elder cousin, "I shall go with you both."

"I agree," Mary Margaret nodded, knowing that David would take care of her and feeling more reassured if her cousin was with her daughter.

"Whatever," Emma rolled her eyes, "Let's go," she turned and headed off with a less-than-pleased looking Neal and a smirking Piper.

They made their way around the main floor, leaving Mary Margaret and David to go after Regina, Piper moving to take the lead, hoping to head for Tamara. It was…only the slightest bit difficult. She'd learned that water had a sort of adverse affect on her, it made it more difficult to hear someone's song, that and the fact that Greg and Tamara weren't from the Enchanted Forest. But she could still hear it enough to lead them on.

"Emma!" David's voice called over the radio, "You gotta block the exits!"

"You guys alright?" Emma frowned.

"We found Regina, with Mendell. He's coming your way."

"Greg Mendell," Emma nodded.

"As I said," Piper grew solemn.

"I was right," Neal gave them a glare, "It wasn't Tamara."

"Is that so?" Piper glanced back at him and nodded over his shoulder.

He turned around to see Tamara standing there, at the end of the hall, a gun out and aimed at them, "Actually it was," the woman told him, "I just had some help."

"What are you doing, Tamara?" Neal frowned, a crack in his voice at the realization that his father had been right, that Piper and Emma had been telling the truth and Tamara had betrayed him.

"I have to keep magic out of this world, Neal," she defended, "It doesn't belong here. You more than anyone should understand that. It's a poison."

"You've been lying to me. How long have you been lying to me?!"

"This is more important than any…"

"How long?!"

"Since the beginning," she told him, "Since I spilled coffee on you."

"It wasn't an accident," Neal realized, "You planned it all. None of it was real."

"Neal, you're a good man," Tamara tried to speak, "I know that. So please try to understand. I had a job to do an important one, one I think you can agree with."

"You never loved me," Neal swallowed and Piper glanced at him. Even if he always loved Emma, his heart had opened to another and now, to find that she had betrayed him…likely betrayed him the same way he had Emma…it was hurting him.

"No," Tamara just had to put that nail in the coffin.

Neal seemed to straighten at that admission though, pulling himself together, "I can't let you leave here, Tamara."

"Neal, please don't make me," Tamara warned, but Neal took a step for her and she fired the gun.

"Neal!" Emma gasped, rushing over to him as he staggered back, a bullet hole in his gut.

"I'm sorry, Neal," Tamara swallowed.

"You should be," Piper glared, stepping up as Tamara lifted the gun, but Piper put her fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle, making her flinch and drop the gun to cover her ears at the pain of it, not stopping till the girl had collapse to her knees, panting.

"It's over!" Emma shouted, on her feet, her own sheriff's gun aimed at Tamara.

The woman glared up at them, "No," she told them, "It's not!"

Before any of them could move, Tamara pulled a magic bean from her pocket and threw it at the ground before them, the two women jumping back as a portal opened in the middle of the hall. Tamara smirked, grabbed her gun, and bolted, leaving them on the other side. The winds picked up, sucking at the three of them. Piper managed to grab onto a pipe at the side of the wall, holding onto it as Emma grabbed a crack in the hall floor ahead of her to avoid being sucked in.

"Emma!" Neal shouted as he was sucked towards it, but Emma grabbed his hand, crying out in pain as she tried to hold on.

"I got you!" Emma gasped, "Neal!"

"Emma!" Neal looked up at her.

"Hold on!" Piper tried to look around, to find something she could use to reach out to Neal, to help Emma pull him back.

"You can't hold both of us!" Neal shook his head.

But Emma grunted, holding on tighter, "I'm not letting go of you."

Neal looked up at her, his eyes locking on hers, "You have to."

"No, you're shot!" Emma cried, her voice starting to crack as she saw the blood seeping through the bullet hole, "If you fall through that portal, you'll die no matter what world you land in!"

"No, but, Emma, Henry needs you," Neal argued, "He can't lose both of us. Don't make him grow up like we did."

"Then don't let go," she let out a strangled cry as he let go of her hand, making it hard for her to keep her grip, "_I_ need you," she told him, trying to get him to hold on, "I love you."

Neal offered her one more smile, "I love you, too," before he reached up with a cry of pain and yanked her grip off his hand, letting him fall back into the portal.

"Bae!" Piper shouted, this was NOT happening again!

And then, before Emma could even gasp or absorb what had happened, Piper let go of the pipe and leapt towards the portal, diving into it.

"NO!" Emma shouted, reaching for her, wanting nothing more than to let go of the floor and go with them, not wanting to be separated from Neal but knowing Henry needed her…

But it was too late.

The portal had closed, taking Neal and Piper with it...

A/N: Just want to apologize for no chapter yesterday :( My brother and his girlfriend had a fight and she refused to go to his 'race' this weekend so at like 5am I got woken up and told that, because she wasn't going, I had to go :( Worse yet, since I had no time to prepare, I was running around trying to get packed and left my phone home :( I couldn't even put a note on tumblr about it to warn you :( We just got back now so I'm posting the chapters :)

As for this chapter...I HAD to do it! I had to make Piper go with Neal :) I just felt like, she jumped right in there after Emma who was her cousin's daughter, she would SO go after her true love's son (like her step-son) and...they sort of have some bonding of their own to do ;) Piper knew all about the Dark Curse and Gold's plans for it and how far he went to make sure Regina cast it. She knows how important Bae/Neal is to Gold and I couldn't see her just standing there and not jump right in after him to make sure he was ok or at least not alone. I wonder how Gold will react }:)

I know there's a little more to this episode than where the chapter ends, but we'll see the last moments of it pick up in the last chapter of this story ;)

Some notes on reviews...

Thank you! ^-^ I'm so glad you think Piper's arrogant :) She is meant to be so I'm thrilled she's coming across like that ^-^ I tried to put it in a way where the source of it is that she genuinely doesn't care, like let someone come at her and she'll stab them in the eye with her pipe, let someone else suffer so long as it isn't her family she couldn't care less :) She is arrogant and selfish and cold :) But, to be fair, she _has_ been stabbed, sliced, shot, lost her son, fallen under a sleeping curse, seen her parents murdered, lost her kingdom, has to endure a nightmarish burning room on a nightly basis, nearly lost her true love to poison, (will also have potentially drowned in the future too) and been beaten and whipped and nearly raped so she does get quite a bit of comeuppance, more in the past though because as she grew stronger she cared less and fought back more. She's meant to be as arrogant as Gold and Regina are, so thank you! :) Her magic does come with a price though, mostly her energy (as seen in Miner's Day and in the EF) as it's an internal sort of power...and causing those around her to be terrified/hateful/distrusting of her ;) Almost no one in the town except for Emma, Snow, Henry, and Gold trusts her :)

Nope, my DW story will be up 2 days after my Thor story is over, so in about 4 days (the 23rd I think) :)

Piper would be alright with what Gold did, save for the fact tha she probably would have wanted to be there to enjoy it :)

I was debating having Gold restore their minds so he could really make them suffer, but then I felt like he wouldn't want to undo magic that Piper did herself, sort of a subconscious appreciation and respect for her abilities :) Moe will be seen a little bit more in the next story and more in terms of his interactions with Belle :) Blue would probably not help Belle, only because she wouldn't want to 'help' the Dark One :) Piper doesn't have a fairy godmother. I like to think that, because sirens are inherently dark creatures and fairies are supposed o be inherently light ones, that they'd shy away from her a little :( We'll have to wait and see what Piper will do, if it'll fit into the series/show or if I'll need an original extra season to sort it out but Piper will be getting revenge on Blue ;) Piper more distrusts/dislikes Blue because of how Bae was lost and how August was lost and a lot of suspicions she has about the fairy, if it doesn't fit into the show/series, and I do make an original finishing season myself, I'll definitely explore that more :)


	42. The Darkest Curse

The Darkest Curse

The almighty, terrifying, Dark One was standing in the doorway of the one room of the castle that anyone but him was forbidden to enter…staring at a cupcake sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked around a moment, before eyeing the cupcake and carefully making his way into the room. He looked at it in suspicion, it was small and brown with white on top…there was even a small candle stuck on the top of it. He approached it, reaching out a hand to poke it with his finger when he was near enough, not trusting it entirely. He plopped down beside it though and picked it up, examining it intently with his eyes, lifting it and moving it, observing the small plate it was on, the shape of it, the size. He brought it closer and sniffed it a moment, letting his tongue dart out to taste it experimentally…it was normal.

"Baelfire's birthday," a voice said from the doorway.

He looked up to see Piper standing there, leaning on the doorframe, her arms crossed, as were her legs, her pipe sticking out of one boot and he knew, even though he couldn't see it, his dagger was hidden in the other boot. She was wearing black, his favorite color on her, but with a hint of color. Her shirt was a dark, emerald green, a tunic shirt with billowing sleeves, hanging off her shoulders. Her vest was fitted, tight and black, sleeveless as normal and as long as her thighs, wearing black leggings this time and her boots. Her hair was hanging freely this time, with two braids holding it back as she eyed him.

"What about it?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"It is today, is it not?" she countered, making him straighten and look at her with wide eyes, surprise clearly evident in them, "It is not hard to work out Rummy," she remarked, "This day last year you disappeared the entire day, to this room, and did not come out till well after midnight. This room that holds the keepsakes of your son," she looked around at the small items scattered here and there, the same room that held the smaller clothes that Baelfire had worn before he'd been lost.

"And this?" he held up the cupcake.

"The day of his birth ought not be forgotten, nor should it be ignored," she said simply, "I may never have met your son, but," she nodded at the small cake, "That is all the gift I can give to him, all I could think to comfort you."

"YOU comfort me Pip," he told her earnestly, "Just by being here, by doing this," he held the cake up again before he set it on a small bedside table.

He reached out, holding a hand to her to invite her into the room. He knew that, when he had given her a tour of the castle the first few days she was there, so she knew what to clean and what not to, he had told her that this room was off limits for anything save cleaning and she was not to enter without permission. She had only asked a handful of times to enter the room, solely to clean it. He knew it had been there that she'd found some of Bae's old clothing, but she'd said nothing about it. She hadn't pried into his life, she hadn't bothered him incessantly about it, if he wanted to share, he would. And now he just wanted her to join him.

She smiled and stepped into the room, taking his hand as she sat beside him, him letting out a long breath, "It's been…centuries Pip," he murmured, "Since I saw my boy last."

"My apologies," she began, "I cannot even begin to understand how you are feeling."

She knew that she could relate, but only slightly, to how he felt. Her cousin thought her dead, she was separated from her, kept away from her own choice, her cousin was, for all intents and purposes, lost to her. But she could still see her at times, she got word of her, Rumpelstiltskin had nothing about his son to comfort him. He couldn't see the boy, he had no knowledge of where he was or how he was, he didn't know if he'd been harmed or if he was hurt at the moment. He might not even know if the boy was alive or dead though she hoped for the first, it would break his heart for his son to have died and him to not be there.

She could remember when he told her of how he lost his son, the guilt was so heavy in his voice and words that she nearly felt weighed down by them herself. He regretted what he'd done, he wished every day to go back and to change things, he wanted his boy back. But his son had been lost in a world without magic, a world that he couldn't go to and a world that Bae couldn't come back to the Forest from. She knew, she'd been aware of all the research he had done about portals. He told her about them, about magic shoes and portraits, about magic beans and magical wardrobes. But his resources were drying up. She had been forced to tell him that the magic beans were all gone, that they'd been burned due to Prince James and his attack on the Giants. That had given him another reason to want to bankrupt King George. But it had also meant another path to his son had been taken from him.

"I…I will see him again, one day Pip," Rumpelstiltskin spoke after a long moment of silence, "I know I will."

She tilted her head to eye him, hearing more in his words than she was sure he meant to let on. It wasn't a wishful thought, it wasn't even hopeful, it was certain and sure and like he knew, for a fact, that he WOULD see his son again, "How so?"

He glanced at her, as though just realizing that he'd said that and searched her eyes, "It is…not something you will wish to know," he warned, feeling the oddest feeling of…of guilt starting to sink into him, and he knew why, because it would affect HER, his plan…would mean something upsetting to her, "It will mean harm for your family."

He watched her tense at that, watched her lips purse in displeasure at that and, for the briefest moment, he felt alarmed and frozen at the thought that she might storm away from him for those seven words. He felt his heart stop at the thought that she would leave him. He had redone the true love bottling with her hair and his, after he had gotten over his shock of the discovery, it still blazed as it had when he'd first attempted it, she certainly was his true love and the thought of being without her…it was causing the most uncomfortable feelings to stir inside him.

He watched intently as her gaze flickered to his, searching his own eyes for something, "How so?" she repeated, the barest hint of a strain in her voice.

He let out a long breath, not sure if he was relieved that she was willing to listen, or dreading having to tell her the full extent of his involvement in the lives of her family, the reason behind some of her own plight.

"I met a Seer once," he began the tale, "A long time ago, before…before I was the Dark One. I was married, to a woman named Milah. I thought I loved her and she me but…" he shook his head, "The first chance the little strumpet got she ran off with a pirate and left me and our boy Bae alone. Caught up to them," he giggled slightly, recalling it, "Crushed her heart in front of her new lover and cut his hand off in return, he goes around with a hook now instead of a hand."

"You are getting off topic," she cut in.

He nodded, "Yes, dearie, I am," he agreed, "The Seer told me, when I had been called away for the Ogre Wars, that my actions would leave Bae fatherless. I thought she meant I would die on the battlefield…she meant that I would take the coward's way out," he nearly spat, "I injured myself, crippled myself, to be sent home to Milah and Bae. She hated me ever since, wished I'd died, ran off and it was just Bae and I. The Ogre Wars were still going on and the soldiers were coming to take Bae from me. That was when I met the last Dark One, I killed him, took his powers and…you know how I lost him," he glanced at her.

"I do," she nodded, "But I see not what this has to do with my family. If it was centuries ago…"

"Yes," he squeezed her hand lightly to quiet her, "I…I found the Seer again, a few years later, when she was older and demanded answers. I took her powers from her but not before she told me that…I WOULD find Bae, that a curse would take me to him and…that a boy would lead me to find him again, that boy would be my downfall," he shook his head, "I saw it though Pip," he turned to her, "I saw Bae. He was…older, he was a grown man, but…I was there with him. He was still alive and I found him. I spent the next centuries researching curses, trying to find one that would allow me to return to him."

"And you did," she realized, "Is that where my family comes into this?"

"YOU came into this long before your family Pip," he tried to soothe her, hearing an edge in her voice. He knew he had to tread very, very carefully. Sirens were…fiercely protective of their families, if he went too far, not even being her true love would make her hesitate to kill him where he stood to protect what was left of her family. He wouldn't blame her either, he had done killing of his own to keep his boy safe.

"I am not certain I am following," she tried to keep calm, tried to hear him out. The fact that he was telling her this meant much to her, that he was being so honest and she could hear the truth in his words, but she was having a very difficult time not trying to attack him for hearing that something he was doing was going to hurt Snow.

"The Seer…she saw someone else, besides my boy," he told her, keeping his eyes locked on hers so she would see the truth in them.

This was…delicate and…difficult for him. He had been so focused on his son, on finding him, no matter the cost, no matter the consequences that to be confronted with one of them, with a member of the family that would suffer because of his actions…to be confronted with true love, something he never thought he'd find…he didn't want to hurt her. If he could…he genuinely felt that he would change his plans, find some other way to get to his son, anything to not harm the woman that held his heart (quite literally had held his heart). He was hoping, by telling her this, she would calm slightly and realize that he would try to make it up to her. The harm that he hadn't cared about before now meant something to him, because of her, because it would cause HER harm for him to continue the way he was.

There was too much in motion already to stop his plans…but there was something he could do to change it, to help lessen the harms.

"She saw YOU, Piper," he continued, "She saw my…my true love," he watched as she blinked, taking heart in the fact that she hadn't denied it or jumped away from him or thought that it was a curse to be destined for him, "I thought she meant Milah, at first but…" he let out a breath, "She kept referring to them separately, my wife, and my True Love. When Milah left, when I killed her…I felt nothing. No sorrow, no remorse, nothing but satisfaction. I knew then that she had never been my true love and I don't believe I actually loved her either."

"I…am your true love," Piper repeated slowly, trying to grasp that. It was one thing to experience it, to have it be unspoken, it was another to be reaffirmed out loud, even more so by a seer centuries ago.

"You are," he nodded, "It…it wasn't just the sleeping curse that proves it either," he recalled that moment, how he'd woken her with a kiss, "I…bottled your cousin's true love with the shepherd, remember dearie?" she nodded, "I did the same with us," he gestured between them.

Piper nodded slowly at that, she felt it, she'd heard him tell her that he loved her, she believed him. It was just…more confirmation to her, "And yet you are going to continue with this plan?" she frowned at him, "To…harm my family."

"No," he shook his head, before wincing, "Well yes," he took it back, "But," he added quickly, feeling her tense beside him, "I have a way to make it better in the end Pip. I swear to you, on my dagger," he added, "That your family shall be safe and well, they shall be together and happy, in the end. I swear this to you on everything I hold dear, on Bae."

She looked at him a long while, knowing that he wouldn't ever swear something on his son if it wasn't something he truly was going to see through, "What is this curse?" she asked him, "And _how_ will it harm my family?"

He let out a breath at that, feeling relief settle in him that she was still willing to listen. He knew that she was aware that he thought things out to the minutest detail, as evidenced by his deals, for him…this had been a long time coming and she was willing to hear him out, "The curse…the Dark Curse…is meant to take away happy endings. It is meant to transport everyone to a world without magic, where their memories will be taken, their magic stripped away. But…there IS a failsafe built in," he held up a finger, starting to grin, "And therein lies your family."

"My family will break the curse?" she guessed at that, following along.

"Snow White's child."

"Snow is not with child," Piper shook her head.

"Not yet," Rumpelstiltskin smirked a bit, before growing serious, knowing this was no time for giggling or over exaggerated expressions, "She will, one day, have a child, and that child will break the curse that shall be cast, 28 years later," he reached out and gently touched her face, "And your family shall be reunited once more Pip, they will be together and happy. And I shall be in a land without magic, I can bring magic back there, and then I can find my son."

She stared him down a long moment, searching for the truth of that in his eyes before she nodded, "Will you be casting this curse?" she inquired.

"No," he dropped his hand from her face, "I cannot."

"Why not?" she tried to smile slightly, though she was still uneasy with the idea of her family being cursed, she was relieved to know he would see to it that it was broken and that her family would be reunited once more.

"It is…a tricky bit of magic."

"Too tricky for the Dark One?" she nudged him.

"It requires a sacrifice," he elaborated, "One that I was unable to make once upon a time…one that I cannot make now."

"What sacrifice?" she frowned at that, for it to be something that the Dark One was unwilling to make…it had to be rather…big.

"The heart of the one you love the most," he murmured, his hand gently brushing against her chest, feeling her heart beating beneath the back of his fingers for a moment before lowering them to her hands on her lap.

Piper blinked at that.

Rumpelstiltskin cleared his throat, looking away, "For a long while Bae would have been the sacrifice and that would defeat the purpose of getting back to him. And he wasn't even here," he let out a small, despairing giggle at that, "I found another to cast the curse."

He glanced at her, but Piper was just staring at him, not even asking who the other person was.

So he continued, "There was a woman, Cora…" he glanced at her again but she was still just staring, "Regina's mother. I found her in a rather…precarious position and could sense the magic in her. She could have been a rather magnificent target, a pupil that I could groom to cast the curse. But she loved no one truly enough to cast a curse like that. She removed her heart before Regina was even born, she couldn't love her daughter fully or truly enough then either. But Regina, ooh, little baby Regina," he started to smile, "She was the perfect specimen."

He looked up at the ceiling, recalling the past, "Her mother was cruel to her, kept her weak and frightened, exquisitely broken, manipulated her entire life, just as she did yours," he hesitated only the briefest moment before adding, "She poisoned Queen Eva, ensured that Regina would be riding when Snow White's horse mysteriously started to run away, spooked it to make sure that Regina and Snow White would meet. She was so desperate to be queen, to see her daughter be queen as well she did all she could to make Regina so, even if it meant trapping her both with magic and marriage into it. It made the girl so desperate for freedom that I was able to swoop in and offer it to her. I brought her an enchanted mirror shortly before her wedding to the king, she banished the woman through it, through the looking glass, to Wonderland."

Piper blinked at that though, Cora was still alive it appeared. He had said banished, not killed.

"She was free, but still so trapped," he kept on, "She was the perfect student. She wanted power, she wanted strength and freedom and I gave it to her. And she had so much rage inside her, it didn't take much to crush the last of her hope, to let the darkness fester inside her, to grow to revenge and hatred, desperation for a happy ending and revenge against…" he paused, "Against Snow White."

He turned to Piper, seeing her looking down at her hands instead of at him, listening to him speak on about his plans, how it had all come to fruition, "Cora used your cousin to find out about that stable boy of hers, she ripped his heart out in front of little Regina and crushed it. And so the seeds were sown against the girl. She came to me, begging me to bring her precious Daniel back and…I gave her hope. I had an accomplice, Jefferson, the Mad Hatter I believe he's called now, to approach her, tell her of a doctor, Victor Frankenstein, that might be able to help her restore her lover. They gave her hope, they gave her promises…and they failed to keep them. They could have," he admitted, "They could have brought Daniel back…but I needed her broken, I needed her angry, so they kept it from happening. Her last hope crushed and all she had left was her quest for vengeance and desire to see Snow White suffer."

He looked at Piper, seeing her still just staring and realized…Regina had burned Rose Red's kingdom to the ground, had murdered her family in front of the girl, all because of her quest to end Snow White…a quest HE had started her on by crushing her like that.

"All these years, she has been after Snow White," he added, more quietly, "But Snow White is always victorious, because of YOU Pip," he reached out and turned her head to look at him, "I help her for you, because I know how important she is to you. The added benefit that it drives Regina more into the darkness and rage is good luck, but…I will not see her harm your cousin Pip," he promised her, "Snow White will be safe, and she will be victorious. And that victory…it will drive Regina to desperation, it will drive her to cast the curse, to kill her own father to see it happen. I just…must be patient and I will see my boy soon."

Piper was silent for a very long while, trying to think of it all, to absorb it. He had…certainly told her quite a bit of what had happened in the past, of how much he had put into play to get to this point, to get to the moment where he might find his son. She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head, needing to clear it, needing to focus on one thing after another and not all of it jumbled together. She got up, Rumpelstiltskin's hands falling from her own and walked over to the window of the room, looking out at the forest beyond, the same forest that she had found him in.

She should have realized, should have remembered. She'd met him before, when she had been a child, had seen him twice. But she had been only 11 years old at the time, it had been just before Regina had married her uncle, she had seen him lurking about Regina's room and then at the banquet afterwards. That had been when Cora had disappeared. She could remember telling him it was a good thing that she'd sent the woman away. She hadn't realized it till weeks afterwards though, that the reason it was good was because that song that she heard around Cora…it was the same song she heard from the Blue Fairy when she and Snow had gone to try and save Eva. She knew that Cora knew magic, could guess that she had transformed into the fairy to trick Snow. She hadn't thought, at that age, that Cora had something to do with Eva's death though. She supposed it only meant that she now had an extra reason to wish the woman dead, apart from the revenge she'd been plotting against Regina from the moment she'd crushed her father's heart.

And Regina…she was…numb, to the thought of the woman and her life and how she had been manipulated by Rumpelstiltskin as well as Cora. She knew she had once felt empathy for the woman, felt sympathy for her, perhaps one day she would feel that again, but at the moment…she just wanted her revenge against the woman.

It was…disturbing to think that her family would have to endure 28 years apart before the curse could be broken, but…the thought of Regina having to kill her own father, to think that she would experience such desperation, that she would think she had won for so long only to have it all crumble down around her. To be left in a world without magic, surrounded by those she'd harmed, and not just Snow, but EVERY single person her curse took with her, that they'd come after her when the curse broke and she would have no magic to save herself this time…

That more than made up for it.

Her family would be safe and victorious and Regina would suffer for all she had done.

But there was one part that bothered her. Snow was not yet with child, she was still out there, fighting to reclaim her kingdom, it could be any number of months or years before she even conceived and…that would mean even more time that Rumpelstiltskin would be trapped waiting to return to his son.

"Pip?" Rumpelstiltskin called after a moment, seeing her just staring out the window, fiddling with the necklace that he had given her of purple dust.

She could hear him stand, "Can you not cast the curse now?" she had to wonder.

He shook his head, she could see it in the reflection of the window, "No."

She nodded slowly, her hand drifting from her necklace to her chest. She paused, taking a breath, before she reached into her chest, using what he'd told her about magic, to pull her heart out, "Not even with this?" she turned, holding it out to him in her hand.

Rumpelstiltskin slowly stepped towards her, his eyes on her heart but she could tell from the gleam in his eye it had nothing to do with the temptation to take it and use it for the curse but a genuine curiosity and awe. Not many could claim to see the heart of a siren, much less a half-siren. It was…different, than a normal heart, she could tell. His heart, when she'd held it, had been dark, she'd seen Regina rip out her father's heart and it was bright red. This heart…it was a grey color with more of a red hue, it truly looked like a stone in her hand, it felt harder than Rumpelstiltskin's had as well. It appeared that the 'hardening of a heart' that was common in Sirens was nearly literal. It was almost like her heart was turning into stone, a beating stone, but wasn't quite at that point. It did make sense it would appear like that, nothing was harder than stone and it made it clear why others could never remove the heart of a siren. If it was harder than a normal heart, they wouldn't be able to pull it out, only the person who owned the heart could take it out.

And so she had.

"Piper…" Rumpelstiltskin breathed, shaking his head, his hand coming out to gently curl around her own as it held her heart, "Put it back."

She reached out with her free hand and tilted his chin up to look at her, "If my heart is what you need to find your son, Rummy…can I not at least offer it to you?" she asked him quietly.

"Piper…I would have to crush your heart," he told her, reaching up to take her hand from his chin, holding it in his hand, "It will kill you."

"And YOU will have your son back," she shook her head, "You would not need failsafes, you could cast the curse to your specifications. You could go to this other land, with your memories, you could make it the world YOU want your son to return to. You can do this, right now, instead of waiting for Snow's child to be born," she looked into his eyes, "You will have your son."

"And I will lose _you_," he said firmly, "I…for so long Pip, it had to be someone else to cast the curse, because I had no one I loved enough to use. I…I truly thought that if I found someone, I _would_ use their heart. I would get my son back sooner. But I…can't," he told her in a pained breath, "I can't imagine my life without you in it Piper," he squeezed her hand, "When I find my son, I want you beside me."

She eyed him intently, searching his eyes, "Are you certain?"

He nodded, "I have never been more certain," he whispered, lifting her hand that held her heart, pressing his lips to it as she had his when he'd first taught her how to pull out a heart, "If this curse means I lose you like that Pip…I cannot use it. My…my heart could not take that."

She gave him a soft smile and gently pulled her hand from his, placing her heart back into her chest with a gasp and a small wince of pain. She'd never had her heart pulled out before. Rumpelstiltskin had attempted to pull it out once, when he was first teaching her, not sure if she was siren enough for her heart to be protected like the others, but had been unable to. It had been uncomfortable, but it was painful to actually pull it out and put it in she realized.

She let out a gentle breath as she felt it beating in her chest once more and took his other hand, "I would love nothing more than to be by your side as you find your Baelfire again, Rummy," she told him.

"You…" he hesitated, "You'll stay with me?" he asked, seeming almost shocked by that, "Even after all I've told you? All that you and your family have suffered, and will suffer, because of my actions and what I have led Regina to be?"

Piper pursed her lips only slightly, "There is nothing I would not do to see Snow safe," she told him, "I understand the need for family, better than most, Sirens are more family oriented than any other creature. If I were you, I would do the same. I would do anything and stop at nothing to find my child. I cannot fault you for the manner in which you choose to find him, when I know I would likely do much, much worse."

He smiled at that, having nearly forgotten the call of family in terms of sirens, if there was one person in the entire Enchanted Forest that would understand why he was doing this and support him…it would be her, "We'll find him together Pip," he promised her, "We'll see both our families safe."

And, as he had done in the past, with his most important of promises, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, sealing the deal.

A/N: Awww, Dark Rose are adorable :') I really just wanted to show some insight into the trust Rumple put in Piper in telling her this and her understanding of his reasons and methods :)

Some notes on reviews...

Lol, we'll see Mary Margaret be the one to understand why Piper did it and seems to keep jumping into portals in the next chapter ;)

We'll have to wait and see how Piper reacts to the revelation of Rumple's father ;)

I'm glad you're enjoying Piper :) I loved writing Marayna and Proffy too ^-^ I think they'd get along well.

Oh Gold is going to be...very angry at first }:) I think Gold was only accepting the beans being there as a means to get back to the Enchanted Forest with his son, if they were taking the whole town I think he'd hope there was less chance he'd be separated from Neal :) Oh Robin will be very much aware of just who Piper really is ;)


	43. And Straight On 'til Morning

And Straight On 'til Morning

Emma was sitting in the back of David's car, Mary Margaret and David in the front as they slowly drove towards the park. She was silent, staring at the back of the car seat ahead of her, partially in shock still. Neal was gone, he'd fallen into a portal Tamara had rigged up, after being shot by Tamara, and Piper had jumped in after him. She closed her eyes, she could still recall the look in Mary Margaret's face when she told them what Piper had done. It was a cross between shock, fear, expectation, and sorrow. It was like she almost knew Piper would have done that the second that she mentioned Neal falling into the portal and how Piper wasn't there when she found them again. It was like she knew Piper would do it, but was hoping that she'd be wrong.

She understood that feeling. When she'd fallen into the portal, at least she had had the woman who was meant to be her mother and her 'aunt' there with her. Even though Neal had grown up in the Enchanted Forest…he only had Piper, the woman who was involved with the father he didn't trust for anything. Worse yet…Neal had been shot. There was no way that he'd survive that, she was sure of that, and if that was true…Piper would be lost somewhere in the Enchanted Forest. Alone.

That was why they were heading to Gold, he'd taken Henry to the park, or Henry was at the park, he'd texted her, but Gold was there too. She had partially expected that one though. Gold had always been a little more lenient and caring when it came to Henry, more so when Piper came to Storybrooke, especially when he'd found out Henry was his grandson. If there was a threat of Greg and Tamara, the man's first thought after he finished in his shop would be to find Henry and protect him incase Greg and Tamara escaped…which they had.

Regina had been tortured by Greg, she'd learned, had been electrocuted. She'd been strapped to a table, a band on her arm to suppress her magic, with electrodes taped to her temples and electrocuted. She claimed it was Greg asking for information of his father. Apparently the boy had been in Storybrooke as a child with his father, Regina had tried to keep them in town but the boy had escaped and the father was restrained. Regina had admitted to killing the father to Greg and he'd run off when Mary Margaret and David found him.

That wasn't even the worst part. Tamara and Greg had been the ones to break into her office and take the beans she'd had. And, in breaking in and kidnapping Regina…they'd stolen some sort of trigger, something that had been built into the curse to destroy the town…killing them all. And Tamara had it. Now they were heading to get Gold, not only to tell him about his son's death, but his True Love's disappearance, AND that their town and all their lives were in danger and they needed help. On top of that, she also had to break it to Henry that his father was dead along with his 'aunt.'

This was not going to go well, not at all.

~8~

Mr. Gold sat on a bench in the park, his gaze on Henry as he sat on a swing. Granny was there as well, supervising, much to his annoyance. Despite being the child's grandfather no one in the town, not even his own son, seemed to have any faith in him. No one except Piper. He knew that she had worked out that 'the boy who would lead him to Bae' was Henry, that the same boy was to be his downfall. He had told her of that prophecy when he told her they were true loves, prophesized loves. He knew that she was aware that he had plans to kill the boy that would have been his downfall…till he'd learned that it was Henry, his grandson. Even if the boy hadn't been related to him by blood, he was related to Piper and THAT was enough to keep the boy safe.

And so he would, waving his hand to tighten the ropes on the swing the boy was on when he noticed they were starting to break while he was near some rather sharp rocks.

Piper trusted him to keep the boy safe, he would do it, no matter what.

He looked over, hearing a car drive up and frowned when he spotted only Emma, David, and Mary Margaret stepping out of it. He glanced over at Henry for a moment before he stood and made his way over to them.

"Gold," David frowned, "What are you doing here?"

"He was watching Henry," Emma answered for him, having forgotten to tell them that Gold would be there.

"Yes, now, if you would be so kind as to explain where my son and Piper are," Gold gave them a less than pleased look.

"Emma, it's ok," Mary Margaret put her hand on Emma's shoulder, "Why don't you talk to Henry, and we…" she glanced at David, "We'll handle this."

Emma swallowed though, "No, no…I…" she took a breath, "It's on ME. It's my fault."

"And what fault is this?" Gold started to frown, starting to feel like something bad had happened to his boy and Piper.

"David?" Mary Margaret turned to her husband, knowing he had had more time to bond with Henry while they'd been in the Enchanted Forest.

He nodded, "I'll tell Henry," he offered, heading off towards the boy.

"Ms. Swan," Gold turned back to Emma, his jaw starting to clench, "Where is my boy and Pip?" he demanded.

Emma let out a long breath, "Tamara shot Neal," she said quickly.

"What?!" Gold's eyes widened, "He's dead?"

"They used one of the magic beans to open a portal. Neal was…" she cut off, taking a breath, tears in her eyes, "He was hurt, badly, when he fell through. He's gone."

"No," Gold shook his head, "Bae wasn't supposed to die. He…" he grabbed his cane tightly, "Where's Piper?" Emma glanced at Mary Margaret and back to Gold, but he had already seen the tears in Mary Margaret's eyes, "Where IS she Ms. Swan!?"

"She dove in after him," Emma continued, "Neal fell, and she went after him. She…"

Emma didn't even have a chance to finish speaking as she found herself slammed back against a telephone pole, Gold grabbing her by the lapels of her red leather jacket, his cane forgotten on the ground, "You did this!"

"Gold let her go!" Mary Margaret shrieked, rushing forward to grab his arm, but he wouldn't let go of Emma.

"This is your fault!" he nearly snarled at the blonde.

"No it isn't!" Mary Margaret grabbed his arm tightly, "It was Rose's choice and you know it!" she managed to pull his arm down, "You KNOW what Sirens are like! Family is what drives them, Neal is YOUR son, of course she would jump in after him!"

She would have thought it was funny, how Piper always went on about how SHE only saw her as her cousin and not part siren, whereas Gold was apparently the one that accepted both sides of her…yet here she was, SHE was the one who remembered what would make Piper do something like that, she was the one recalling her siren half this time.

Gold panted at that and turned away, running a hand through his hair, his heart pounding. He knew she was right, he knew that the second one of her family was in danger, Piper would do all she could to help them. She loved him and because he was in her heart, so was his son, she would have no choice but to jump in after his boy, it would be instinct to her to protect those she saw as family. He knew, he'd known for a long time that, as they grew more serious, Piper had come to look at Baelfire as her own child, much like August had been, even if she hadn't met the boy yet. She WOULD jump in there after him, to protect him, to make sure he wasn't alone. But where Ms. Swan seemed to think that his boy had died…he knew Piper wouldn't allow it. She would fight and tend to him and she would make sure he was ok. Emma had little faith in Piper or knowledge of what Piper was capable of. She had been on her own for years before she'd found him, she'd had cuts and bruises and worse and had treated them on her own and lived. She'd been stabbed! And she'd managed to live past it. She knew the plants that grew in the Forest, she'd be able to help him.

But it didn't make it easier to know that she was lost there without him, again.

"It gets worse," Emma spoke quietly.

"I very much doubt that dearie," he muttered.

"Greg and Tamara, they took something from Regina," Emma continued, "A magical trigger. A failsafe in the curse that could destroy Storybrooke."

"If they activate it, it's a self-destruct," Mary Margaret added, "Everyone not born in this world will die."

Emma glanced at her mother and back to Gold, "We need your help."

"As always," he mumbled, "And yet my help only seems to put my love in danger."

"She was MY cousin first," Mary Margaret crossed her arms.

"She was prophesized for me centuries before she was even born," he spat back at her, shocking her with that bit of information.

"Are you both seriously playing the 'who cares more' game?" Emma shook her head, "We don't stop this, WE all die," she gestured around at them, "Greg and Tamara, the people responsible for your son's death," she pointed at Gold, "And your cousin's disappearance," she pointed to Mary Margaret, "Are going to escape and kill the rest of us," she glanced at Gold again, "You think Piper will be happy with you when she comes back and finds not just you dead, but her cousin and her niece, and her nephew abandoned?!"

Gold let out a long breath at that, "When she comes back…" he repeated, before smirking at Emma a little, "Look who has faith now."

Emma shifted at that, not having realized she'd said when instead of if, "Yeah well…she knows portals," she reminded the man, "She'll find a way back," she swallowed hard, trying to keep the tears from her eyes as she thought of Neal, how HE wouldn't be coming back because he was dead.

Gold nodded, "Well then, it appears we need a plan."

~8~

"Henry!" Regina shouted, having been pacing Mary Margaret's apartment before rushing to her son as he entered the room with David, Emma, and Mary Margaret, Gold having returned to his shop to try and find anything that might help them stop the trigger.

"Mom!" Henry rushed over, hugging her tightly…when the room began to shake as though an earthquake was striking it.

Emma stiffened and looked at Regina, "Regina, was that…"

"Yes," she sighed, "The diamond was activated."

Emma closed her eyes a moment and rubbed her forehead, not even sure how Henry was able to process what was happening when she was just barely managing to keep track of it all. First she'd lost Neal, then Piper, then found out the entire town was in danger, that she could die and end up leaving her son alone in the world with just the hope that Piper might find a way back and take care of him…and now it was all starting. Henry, for his part, seemed to be coping well enough though she was sure it was his belief that his father was still alive, that he couldn't be dead, that Piper wouldn't let that happen, that Piper wouldn't have jumped in after him if he was going to die, that Piper would return with his father and that the heroes would save the town. He certainly had more belief than she did in them all.

"Are we all gonna die?" Henry looked at Regina.

"You were born here, so you'll live," Regina reassured him.

But that only made him frown, "But…I'll be alone."

Regina closed her eyes at that. She had been planning to do just this, to use the trigger to blow up the town, but with her and Henry escaping to the Enchanted Forest before that happened. It was a preemptive strike against Mary Margaret and David, who planned to either abandon her here or lock her up. But now…now she was facing the consequences of it, her own potential death and abandoning her son, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not gonna happen," Emma shook her head, "I'm not gonna let it," she looked at Regina, "You did this, now make it stop."

"I can't," Regina told her, "There's no way."

"WELL, FIGURE IT OUT!" Emma snapped, "It's your fault!"

"STOP!" Henry cut in, making them fall quiet at how loud he'd shouted, "I already lost my dad and my aunt. I don't wanna lose anybody else. We have to work together!"

"From the mouths of babes," a voice said behind them and they spun around to see Hook in the doorway, having snuck up behind them, "I'd say the lad has a point."

David wasted no time in spinning around and punching Hook square in the face, "That was for the last time we met," he glared, recalling how Hook had punched him out when Cora had been in town, to steal something for her.

"Bloody hell," Hook muttered, his hand flying to his nose.

But David just drew his gun, "Tell us why you're here before I use something other than my fist."

Hook eyed him and chuckled, "Anyone tell you, mate, that you're a bit too much like the lass's cousin," he nodded at Mary Margaret, making David glare, more for the comparison to Piper than how the man was bringing Mary Margaret into this, he was nothing like Piper, "Snuck up on her and she beaned me with a cane."

Emma had to smirk at that, "Then duct taped you to a chair," she added, "We have duct tape."

"And I'll escape just like I did with her," Hook shrugged the threat off, "You've got wooden chairs here too."

"We'll find a metal one," Emma threatened, realizing that Hook had likely broken the chair Piper taped him to in order to escape.

"And then we'll shoot you," David agreed.

"Yes, VERY much like the Piper aren't you?" Hook continued to bait him, rather enjoying how angry David was getting at the constant comparisons…though Mary Margaret seemed a little thoughtful of just how similar David could be to Piper at times, "Though I do I think threatening to kill me seems a bit redundant when we're all about to die anyway."

"No thanks to you," Emma glared at him, "Regina told us you were working with Tamara and Greg to get your revenge."

"Well, that was before they told me I had to die to get it."

Emma shook her head, "We don't have time for this. We have a real problem."

"Which is why I'm here," Hook cut in, "Cos staring death in the face has made me realize if there's one thing I want more than my revenge, it's my life."

"What and you think saving this town will keep the Dark One from killing you for helping his son and true love be lost?" Regina scoffed, "He'll kill you first."

"Well then it's a good thing I have the so-called 'heroes' to protect me," he rolled his eyes, the sarcasm heavy in his words, "So should we start this thing now, and then resume bickering?"

"There is no stopping it," Regina emphasized, "And the best thing I can do is slow it down, but that will only delay the inevitable."

"It'll give us the time we need," David remarked.

"The time for what?" Mary Margaret shook her head.

"To do exactly what Regina planned," David told them, "We steal back the beans and use them to get everyone into the Enchanted Forest before Storybrooke is gone."

"How?" Emma frowned, "We don't even know where Greg and Tamara are."

"Well, I do," Hook lifted a hand casually, "I can help."

Emma scoffed at that, "Help yourself. You'll take them and leave us all behind. Why should we trust you?"

"No, we won't have to," David agreed, "I'll go with him, and if he tries anything, I'll shoot him in the face."

"Quite hostile, aren't we?" Hook eyed him, "I see why you and the girl butt heads so often, too alike you are. Only difference is she'd prefer crushing my heart," his gaze flickered to David's gun.

David's jaw clenched at that but truly tried not to let on how irritated and bothered he was by Hooks references to Piper and himself. He was nothing like the woman!

"I'll take Regina to slow down the diamond," Emma took charge, "Give you guys time. Mary Margaret, take Henry, and gather everyone. Make sure they're ready to go as soon as we have those beans. And you," Emma turned to Hook, "You actually get us back to the Enchanted Forest and Gold MIGHT at least delay killing you till he finds Piper and Neal. Keep that in mind."

"Henry," Regina called as Henry and Mary Margaret turned to go, "Before you go," she moved over to him and crouched to face him, "I'm sorry for what's happened. I tried to be the person that you wanted me to be and I failed. But I won't let you be alone. You just know that I love you."

Henry smiled at that, "I love you, too," he told her, pulling her into a tight hug before he headed out.

"The things we do for our children," Hook grinned at them, making them all roll their eyes at him and David shove him out of the door to head off.

~8~

Gold sighed deeply as he stood behind the counter of his shop, his hands braced on the top of the counter, his cane resting across it, his eyes closed. He'd felt it before, the trembling of the earth, had sensed the magic starting to resonate in the mines below the town and he knew that the trigger had been activated. This day was…taxing him in a way he had never been taxed before.

At two different times in his life he had lost those that meant the most to him. He had lost his son, he had lost his true love, but on different days. He had just gotten them back, he'd finally had them both in his life once more…and then lost them again, on the same day. He would never say it aloud and, had Piper been there, he wouldn't have had to, but it was breaking his heart. He could hardly survive the centuries without Bae, only knowing that he might find true love and see him again kept him going. He'd barely endured the 28 years without Piper, knowing that the curse WOULD break and that he'd eventually have her and Bae back had kept him sane. But now…now there was a bleakness. His son was possibly dead, his true love was lost, his own life and the lives of Piper's family were in danger…and he knew that the trigger, he felt it, it would take more power than he had on his own to keep it from affecting the town. It would take light magic and dark magic to balance it and nullify it and there wasn't anyone in town that possessed that much trained good magic.

On top of all that, the Dwarves had been to his shop, had demanded some old drinking stein back for one of their brothers, the one that had crossed the town line to test what would happen so long ago. The Blue Fairy had done it which made him even more distrusting of her, especially when he found out how she had managed to think of what to do. She had used Pinocchio, what happened to him, to create the potion that would restore the memories of their real selves. When she transformed August into Pinocchio she used a hair from the boy's head. She used someone who had been returned to who he should be, someone not-cursed, to create the potion. It made him even more suspicious if that had been Blue's plan all along, to turn Pinocchio into a boy not just to hurt Piper, for being his True Love, but also to get that last potion ingredient.

He couldn't prove it though, he couldn't prove that she had stolen the life and memories of Piper's son for the purpose of making this potion.

And that was grating his nerves as well, Piper would not have wanted her son used for such a purpose.

His hand curled into fists as he continued to think about that day. He had gotten frequent calls from Emma about what was happening. David and Hook (he had been rather tempted to go after the man and kill him while David's back was turned) were going after Tamara and Greg and it was only their mission that stayed his hand from killing the man. They were going after the Magic Beans that the two had taken, their plan was to create a portal, send all of them back to the Enchanted Forest before the trigger could destroy the town. He kept from killing Hook only for the sake of the beans, just getting one would allow him to get back to both Piper and Bae in the Forest. If they were fast enough, there was a chance he might find his son and be able to heal him.

But there was the little problem of the trigger. Regina and Emma had gone to the mines to try and stall it, to delay it. Regina was going to give up her life and magic to stop it. Emma had been begging him to think of a way to stop the trigger so Regina wouldn't be killed, pleading with him for Henry's sake. But there was nothing he could do. Emma, he knew, had likely guilted Regina into this plan though, made her feel it was all her fault. Regina had always been so easily manipulated when someone she loved was in plight and someone put the blame on her. Make her think it was her own fault that someone she loved had been harmed, (make her think she was too weak and powerless to stop her mother killing her first love) and she would be willing to do anything to stop it.

Perhaps Emma was even more like Piper than he thought.

He looked up when he heard the bell to his shop ding, for one brief moment hoping that it was Piper, that she'd found a way back quickly though he knew it was not so…only to see Belle enter timidly, giving him a small smile as she tried to make her way closer to him.

"Get. Out." he nearly growled, NOT at all in the mood to deal with the woman.

"I…um," Belle brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, not leaving but stepping closer, "I heard about your son, and…and that woman and…"

"And what?" he snapped at her, "You thought you could come here? Pick up the pieces of my broken heart?" he glared, "Well I'm sorry to disappoint dearie, but there is nothing here for you."

"I wasn't…" she began, before straightening her back, trying to be stronger, "It's ok to be sad," she tried to tell him, "You don't have to keep everything bottled up. I…" she reached out and placed a hand on his, "I'm here for you Rumple."

"I don't want you," he told her, his voice low, pulling his hand away.

"But you need me," she tried to insist, tried to make him see that he would need her if he wanted to try and redeem himself to his son, to be the good man she knew he was inside.

"I need HER," his lip slightly curling in a small snarl, "ONLY her. So whatever thoughts you have in that empty head of yours you had best forget them and get OUT of my shop!"

"Please," she pleaded, stepping closer, tears in her eyes, "I just want to help…"

"Then leave!"

"No," she straightened her back again, "I'm not going to leave you like this. I know that you feel like a failure to protect your son and…"

"You know _nothing_ about how I feel," his voice dropped low, threatening, and she realized she'd made a rather large mistake in her choice of words, "The only one who has ever known my heart, is Piper," he told her, "You are trying my patience, dearie, and Pip is not here to keep me from killing you where you stand."

"She wouldn't stop you," Belle frowned, "She would encourage it and that's what I'm trying to show you. She's no good for you Rumple. Please just…"

He started to laugh, "She would stop me, dearie," he warned, "Because it would be far more fun to see you suffer than see you die. Now…unless you wish to meet your end before the rest of this cursed town, you will leave my shop."

"Or what?" she tried to defy him, challenge him.

He merely held out his hand, burning with fire in it and sent it flying at her. She ducked down and turned, running out of the shop as Gold let out another breath and closed his eyes once more.

He needed Piper there.

Belle was right, Piper would hardly physically or actually try to stop him killing Belle…it wasn't that, it wasn't that she encouraged him to do something or tricked him into not doing it. It was that…he didn't feel the NEED to do it when she was there. Piper calmed him, made things amusing, in such a way that he didn't feel the burning rage at times, he didn't feel the grating irritation, the need to have others tremble around him. She made him feel lighter just being beside him. She in no way tried to change him, to tell him not to do something, he just…felt no need for it at times when she was there. He needed her to keep him calm, to keep his hope up, to keep him sane…

She was his spinning wheel, she was the spinning wheel he could take with him anywhere, the one he could keep at his side. She calmed him, soothed him, made his mind clearer, made him more powerful and focused…without her…he felt like his world was just darkening and collapsing around him.

For one moment, he considered perhaps not helping Mary Margaret or Emma or Henry and letting the trigger take them all if it would mean an end to this…pain that came with being apart from her.

But as he took a breath and lifted his hand to his heart he knew, Piper was still alive, she was alive and in the Enchanted Forest, he just had to get to her.

And if that meant helping the heroes with their quest…so be it.

~8~

Gold stepped out of his shop, looking at the vines and plants that had begun to overrun the town the moment the trigger had been set off, a sign that the town was disappearing as the forest it was placed in was taking over again. There had been a town meeting, he knew, Mary Margaret had kept him informed. He hadn't attended when she said that Hook and David were going to attend, more so due to Hook being there. He didn't trust himself to not kill the bastard just yet so he had stayed away. He was only going to join when they opened the portal to the Forest but he'd been informed of a different tactic that the royals were planning. They wanted to use the bean, one single bean that David and Hook had managed to grab off of Tamara and Greg, to open it below the trigger and send THAT to another world, not to the Enchanted Forest, but more to wait till the final moment and send it into the portal, letting it self destruct in the portal instead.

Though given how the earthquakes were increasing, he was starting to doubt their plan was going to work. He wasn't even very happy with this plan. To use their single bean to destroy the trigger instead of finding their way to the Forest, to Bae and Piper…he didn't want that. But he could cross the town line now, he knew of the portals in the Wishing Well, in the tree that August and Emma had appeared in. Emma could lead them there, he could see if there was some way to make a new portal, it WAS possible to make a portal but…he had to be alive to do so.

But he felt himself smile when he saw the plants and vines all around stop and start to fade away, the trigger's affects being undone. He'd felt a small flash of magic waft through him, a sense of dark and light magic and his eyes widened in surprise, it appeared Emma had more power than he originally thought if she was, untrained, able to help Regina neutralize the trigger. But if THAT was the case…why hadn't they used the bean?

He shook his head and started to head in the direction that he could feel Emma and Regina's magic heading, knowing that they would be the only ones who would know what was going on. His quest led him to the docks which confused him even more.

But his confusion was cleared up as he rounded the corner of one of the boat houses, able to see Emma, Ruby, David, and Mary Margaret running with Regina towards the end of the docks…where Greg and Tamara were standing, Henry held between them, a green light wafting up around them, a portal opened in the water.

He hurried after them, seeing the duo jump, taking Henry with them through the portal as the 'heroes' and Regina reached the end of the dock as it closed.

"No!" he could hear Emma shouting, "No! No! We have to follow them! There has to be a way!"

"Not only do we not know where they went, but Hook stole the last bean!" Regina huffed.

"I don't care!"

"Without it, there's no way to follow."

"There has to be. We can't just let them, take Henry!"

"Gold!" Mary Margaret spotted him as he approached, "Do something."

"Gold, help us," Emma pleaded, tears in her eyes.

He let out a long breath, "There's no way. I spent a lifetime trying to cross worlds to find my son. There's no way in this world without a portal. And it's not exactly an easy thing to do as I'm sure you recall, Shepherd," he glanced at David who closed his eyes, recalling how many different options he'd tried to get his wife and daughter back.

"So that's it?" Regina frowned, "He's gone forever? I refuse to believe that."

"Wait…" Ruby squinted, looking into the distance, having run into Mary Margaret on the way and used her nose to track Henry to the docks, "What's that?" she pointed to a large pirate ship in the distance, making its way to them.

"Hook," Emma frowned, waiting till the ship got close enough before a plank was thrown down to them and Hook ambled off it, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Helping," he admitted begrudgingly.

"Well, you're too late," Regina glared.

"Am I?" he smirked.

Emma eyed him, "I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself."

"Maybe I just needed reminding that I could," he mused, holding up the bean he'd stolen from them, the bean that they had been about to use to stop the trigger, the one he'd taken and left them to have to combine magic to stop the self-destruction of the town.

"Enough waiting around, let's go," Regina snapped.

"Go?" Hook frowned, confused, "Where? I thought we were saving the town."

"We already did," David cut in.

"We need to get Henry," Emma agreed, "Greg and Tamara took him through a portal."

"Well, I offer my ship and my services to help follow them," Hook gestured at the Jolly Rodger.

"Well that's great, Hook," Regina rolled her eyes, "But how do we track them?"

"Leave that to me," Gold stepped up, "I can get us to where we need to go."

"Well, let's do it," Mary Margaret nodded.

"One problem dearie," Gold cut in, "One of us must stay behind."

"And why's that?" David glared, clearly thinking it was a trick.

"The town is no longer safe."

"What?"

Gold nearly rolled his eyes at that, "Well, Greg and Tamara weren't working alone. Others will follow."

David let out a frustrated breath, "We can't leave people in danger."

Gold reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, concentrating on it, a small puff of purple smoke surrounding it before he turned and handed it to Ruby, knowing that, of all of them there, the wolf was the least likely to have a viable argument to come with them, "After we've gone, follow these instructions. It's a cloaking spell. It'll shield the town, making it impossible for anyone to find."

Ruby frowned but took it, looking at the others, "How are you going to find your way back then?" she asked.

"The spell will allow only those who know where the town is to find it," Gold assured her.

"It's ok Ruby," Mary Margaret smiled, moving in to hug her friend tightly, before she turned to hurry onto the boat, Emma and Regina already on it with Hook, David following behind her, leaving Gold to get on last.

"So," Gold eyed Hook as the man pulled the plank up, "Are you done trying to kill me?"

"I believe so," Hook muttered, his jaw clenched though.

"Then you can live," he agreed to a temporary truce. He couldn't say if it would last after he'd found Piper and his boy, but for now he would let the man live for the sole purpose that he was useful in that moment. He turned, summoning the globe that had allowed him to find Bae the first time to him but using it to focus on Henry, and placed it on a side crate. He pricked his finger and watched as the map began to form, an odd sort of island forming in the white expanse.

"Where is that?" Regina frowned, "Where did they take Henry?"

"Neverland," Hook breathed, his tone clearly indicating that was NOT a good place to be. He took the bean back from Emma and squeezed it in his hand tightly, focusing on Neverland before he threw it into the ocean before them, starting to prepare the ship to sail through it as the others rushed to help.

"So who are we up against?" David asked, "Who are Greg and Tamara?"

"They're merely pawns," Gold muttered, realizing now just how serious the situation was, who Tamara and Greg were working for, how they knew about magic though they hadn't been from their world, "Manipulated by forces far greater than they can conceive. They have no idea who they're truly working for."

"And who's that?" Emma shook her head.

Gold just kept his gaze on the portal as they approached it, "Someone we all should fear," he glanced at them as they hit the portal and began to disappear through it.

~8~

Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest, Aurora, Mulan, and Prince Philip, Aurora's true love, raced along the beach, having seen a portal open in the sky and feared the worst. But they stopped short when they saw a man lying on the ground, soaking wet, badly wounded in his gut, bleeding.

"Who is he?" Phillip frowned as Aurora and Mulan crouched beside him.

"I don't know," Aurora breathed.

"Is he alive?"

She reached out to feel for a pulse, letting out a sigh of relief, "Barely. We have to get him help."

"Help me get him up," Phillip moved forward, Aurora stepping back to allow Mulan to help him lift the man between them.

"His name is Baelfire," a voice said behind them.

Aurora gasped as they spun around, seeing a soaking wet blonde woman standing behind them, her arm in a sling, panting, "Piper!"

To be continued…in…Phantom Melodies!

A/N: Aww, poor Henry :( I hope you all liked Gold's reaction to Emma's news and Belle trying to talk to him lol :) I'm very excited for the next story, which should be up in a few hours ;)

I just want to take a second to say thank you guys! Thank you to anyone who's read/reviewed/favorited/followed/anything this story, I love you all so much and I hope you'll enjoy what's coming in the next story too :')

Some notes on reviews...

I don't agree with what he did to Regina either :( But I think she can semi-understand too, like...she did a lot but won't regret any of it because it gave her Henry. She can't really hold it against Gold the things he did if it gives him his own son back too. Kinda? Lol :)

I can't say about Pan just yet ;) But Piper in the castle was a pleasure to write, and Neal will see something that he wasn't expecting to see on the 'tour' yup ;) Mermaids and Sirens do get along, in my mind, they're like cousin species :) I can say, at one point, she did nearly drown via other sirens, but it might not be what's expected ;) If it'll happen again, we'll have to wait and see though :) Oh Piper will be punching a few people in the face...though one might be Hook lol ;) Piper is trying to see David as family, but she has to get past the parts that remind her of James, so so far he's still Snow's husband to her ;)


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